Tormented
by AceArcalas
Summary: "Ianos is old. Very old. And with age comes with experience... and scars. He has seen many things, things that you two could never imagine. And don't you dare say that other Guardians of the same age 'recovered' from their experiences. They never do, at least, not completely. Every Veteran Guardian is tormented by an event in their past. Always."
1. Character Template and Annoucement

**_Posted November 20, 2016_**

 ** _~~ Character Template/Announcement~~_**

 _Welcome Readers! Both Old and New! I have an announcement to make._

 _Before you go onto the first chapter of 'Tormented', I am placing a template here. The reason is that I accept characters in 'Tormented' and they will make a brief appearance in one chapter (possible two if I have more plans for them). However, as I read through each request, many do not give me enough information to work with (I am not calling any names out but some viewers actually neglect to give me a 'name' for their character) and some review as guests, and as such, I cannot make proper contact to get the information I needed. As such, I made a template to ensure that I get the basic information I need to properly place your character into a chapter of 'Tormented'. I 'especially' need the highlighted areas as seen here:_

 _Name:*_

 _Gender: *_

 _Race: *_

 _Class: *_

 _Subclass(es): *_

 _Faction:_

 _Armor: *_

 _Shader: *_

 _Ghost:_

 _Primary Weapon:_

 _Special Weapon:_

 _Heavy Weapon:_

 _Appearance: *_

 _Personality: *_

 _Background: *_

 _Other:_

 _Some of the template is optional to fill out but I really 'need' the ones that are highlighted in order to properly put your character in. If you send me a request but do not fill in the criteria, then I am sorry, I cannot place your character into 'Tormented'. I apologize for the inconvenience._

 _P.S: Those who requested a character to make an appearance in 'Tormented' before November 20, 2016, I will still try and incorporate your character into the story however, do not be surprised if I send a copy of this template to your inbox if I need more information. To those who do not have a fanfiction account, I will try my best but I will not promise it will turn out well._

 _Thank you!_


	2. No

_**Tormented**_

 _ **No**_

 _ **Edited: 10/20/2016**_

 _Hey Guys! To new readers! I welcome you to Tormented! To old readers, you may have noticed some 'differences' in this chapter. Well, after reading back on the first couple of chapters, I wasn't pleased on how some parts turned out and how 'sudden' some information just seemed to 'pop' out without a smooth sequence. As such, I decided to do some 'editing' on some of the earlier chapters. I won't make too many 'major' changes, just enough to smooth things out. Enjoy!_

* * *

Whistling emitted from the discolored vehicles as the winds blew the sands into the air within the Cosmodrome, filling the air with a rustic shade. With the conditions of the area, many would have taken cover within the old buildings, letting the winds pass so that visibility would be clear enough to sight enemies in the distance. However, the weather didn't really seem to bother a familiar star shaped AI, the latter of which had started scanning the loose hearth underneath them as they wandered. Ignoring the particles of sand brush against their black and orange shell, the Ghost instead fixated their single orange optic on the trail they had found, their scanner easily picking up the wisps of light that their intended target had left behind. Gliding effortlessly through the blazing copper storm, the Ghost only came to a pause when their scanner spotted the edge of a cloak. Lifting up their gaze, the Ghost let out a short 'ah hah' as they glided towards a figure that they had spotted in their field of vision, "There you are."

It was a Guardian, the obvious long cloak and high collar giving away their status of a Scholar of Light. Having taken a seat on the edge of a cliff, their gaze locked out into the blazing sea of sand as if to admire the storm before the Guardian then pushed themselves onto their feet, the tails of their cloak billowing around them as they turned to face their Ghost. Adorned in black and azure colors, the Guardian's helmet stuck out greatly thanks to its bronze color, however, the clear tubes lining up their arms and the side of their helmet seem to gain more attention, specifically liquid infused light flowed through them, illuminating the Guardian easily through the rough storm.

"Ace," The accent of the Guardian immediately gave away their descent as Awoken, and alongside the deep tone, it was clear they were male, "Took you long enough to find me."

Hearing this, the black and orange Ghost rolled their single optic, "Says the one who ran off the instant we landed in this accursed storm." Ace twirled their back fins once, "I still cannot fathom why you wanted to come to the Cosmodrome, especially during this time of season."

It was then the Guardian glanced around, as if admiring the storm around him before he responded, "You have to admit, it's rare for a sandstorm to hit the Cosmodrome, especially during this time of year." A chuckle escaped the Guardian at the blank look he received from his Ghost, "Want to find some shelter to get out of this storm?"

The hardened gaze of the small AI immediately dissipated. "Of course," Ace piped in, "My parts are rusted enough as it is." Their back fins swiveled once more, "Want to give me a tune up once we are out of this sandstorm, Ianos?"

Instead of responding to his Ghosts words, the edges of Ianos's lips twitched behind his helmet before he lifted his hand, signaling to his comrade to glide in and quickly fading into binary code.

"Furthermore, be careful of Fallen and try not to get yourself hurt. Again."

Listening to Ace's voice echo through his helmet, Ianos lifted his weapon from his back before placing it on his shoulder, "I'll make no promises."

A long sigh could be heard from Ianos' helmet, "Fine, but if you get hurt this time, I am 'not' healing you."

Pondering on his Ghost's words, Ianos then nodded once, "Fair deal."

With his words spoken, Ianos started his way down from the cliff, letting himself skid down the side before kicking himself off. Immediately, Ianos shifted his feet, recognizing the sound of air brushing beneath him as he glided safely down onto the copper hearth.

"Ace" The Guardian called out as his gaze shifted around him, raising his rifle in caution.

"No Fallen so far," Ace's voice echoed through Ianos' helm, "that I can sense-" The Ghost's sentence was cut short as the air shifted around the Guardian, recognizing the sensation of a shock rifle readying to fire, "To the left!"

Taking the words of his Ghost to heart, Ianos turned and fired his scout rifle, nodding his head in satisfaction as he heard the familiar cry of a Fallen echo through the winds. Lifting the weapon closer to his face, Ianos gazed through the small scope, easily weaving his weapon around to spot the familiar glow of tubes filled with ether through the rushing sand. Waiting for the stunned Vandal to regain its footing, Ianos immediately pressed his finger on the trigger once the Fallen had steadied itself. Almost instantly, the Vandal's helm exploded, sending small shrapnel through the air before the body collapse to the copper earth.

"A Vandal," Ace commented as Ianos lowered his weapon, "if that's the case, then more Fallen should be around."

"Terrific," The Warlock heaved out a sigh before propping their scout rifle over his shoulders, the radar blinking red all around his field of vision, "How long is transmat going to take?"

"Well, with this weather, a few minutes."

"And from the radar, no time to run and find cover," Ianos added dryly, hearing the familiar snarls and growls of the Fallen approaching around him, "So, what's the best option you see here, Ace?"

Hearing his Ghost hum thoughtfully within his helmet, the Awoken Warlock waited until Ace responded, "You do have a weapon in your hands. Plus, you do know how to wield Void Light quite well if I remember correctly."

Letting a smirk form behind his helmet, Ianos glanced around at the glowing eyes peeking through the thick sands before stating, "Good point."

It was then the male Guardian took aim and fired into the storm.

Xxx

"He is not going to be happy." Cayde blurted, only to be reigned into silence as Ikora shot the azure Exo a look.

"He has been working alone long enough," The Warlock turned her attention back to Zavala, whose lips had formed into a thin line, "it is time for him to find another team. He has to have someone to watch his back on perilous missions."

"But does he want a new Fireteam?" Cayde blurted once more but this time, the Hunter ignored the look he received from the Warlock, "I mean the last time we set him up with a Fireteam, he nearly broke his vow." The Exo shook his head as he added, "And just saying, the aftermath was not pretty."

"That was just 'one' out of many FireTeams that he had been assigned with," Ikorea snapped, causing Cayde to grumble under his breathe, "and he worked well with the teams beforehand. One incident does not discredit the entirety of his exceptional record."

Watching Cayde grumble under his breath at Ikora, Zavala paused, letting silence fill the room before he broke the silence, "I do admit that Ianos' scars has yet to completely heal, but I also believe that it is time for him to move on and move his destiny ahead with others."

"But you know what happened to his previous Fireteams," Cayde blurted, "He is not nicknamed 'The Black Death" for no reason. Why else do you think he wants to work alone? All those scars from – "

"Cayde"

The Hunter paused, grumbling under his breathe once more as Zavala sighed.

"Are the other Guardians informed of their new assignment?" The Titan asked, turning his vibrant gaze towards the Warlock, in which he gained a nod as a response, "Good, then all we need to do is to inform Guardian Ianos."

"Easier said than done," Cayde muttered, earning a glance for his fellow Vanguards, "You know as well as I do that he is not going to show up to the assigned meeting place if he is informed of his new 'Fireteam.'"

"Then we'll just lie." Ikora replied nonchalantly, earning a gaping look from the Hunter, "Just tell him that we need to speak to him near the Hangar to inform him of a new mission." Seeing the wide eyed look from the Exo, the Warlock added, "What are you gawking at? Send the message immediately before he catches on."

Bewildered by the female Vanguard, Cayde then reluctantly turned to his Ghost, letting the small AI land in his palm as it let it disconnected its parts. Before sending the message, the Exo turned his glowing gaze towards Ikora, "Let's hope that he doesn't kill us for this later."

"Oh please, our Ghosts can just revive us soon after."

"That is not comforting at all, Ikora."

Xxx

The Warlock had to admit, fighting in a sandstorm was much more challenging he had anticipated, especially since his radar had been blinking red while as his eyes cannot seem to spot his enemies. Luckily, the glowing effects of Ether from the Fallen helped, and thanks to the scavengers' glowing eyes, it was even easier to gain a head shot. He was just glad that his armor had made it through the entirety without being stained by enemy blood. Unlike the metal plating of Titan armor and the leather of armor of Hunter's, Warlock coats are made of cloth imbued with light to give them protection. Although this also makes it harder to remove any unnecessary stains if some manage to land on the Scholar's attire.

Nonetheless, when the familiar view of the Plaza entered Ianos' vision, the Warlock prepared himself for transmat, lifting his lands away from the controls and pushing his seat back. No sooner had he done this when his vision went white and the familiar weightless sensation spreading throughout his body. Then almost as instantly as it appeared, Ianos once again felt feeling return to his limbs, warmth spreading throughout his body as the Plaza came back into his vision. This signaled to Ianos square out his body, letting his feet take most of the impact before straightening himself out and rolled his shoulders before glancing back in time to see his pale teal and silver ship take off towards the west side of the tower. Standing in the middle of the plaza, the Guardian waited patiently until he spotted the familiar black and orange form of his Ghost gliding from the Hangar Entrance, dodging passing Guardians until the small AI faded into code in time to fuse with their partner's long coat.

"I swear, the Tower is more active as each day passes by," Ace stated, the familiar clicks echoed through the Guardian's helmet, "I wonder if that means it's starting to get easier for the other Ghosts to find Guardians."

"Or their Ghosts have low standards," Ianos said bluntly, hearing his Ghost sputter through his coms in response, "I'm kidding…mostly."

"…Riiiight…." Ianos then heard clicks and waves through his helmet, recognizing the action as Ace glancing through the coms. Smirking behind his helm, Ianos then started his way towards the apartments, hearing Ace 'tsk' as it glanced through messages, "H'm, not many messages left behind this time. Just passing signals and – wait." The Guardian heard his Ghost hum quietly, "Incoming Transmission: From… Hunter Cayde?"

Hearing the Exo's name, the Guardian paused, a slight frown etching onto his hidden features, "What does he want?"

"Don't know," The Ghost replied, humming once more as he asked, "Want me to send it through?"

Ianos paused, contemplating before a sigh escaped his lips, "Let it through."

"On it."

White noise then flooded Ianos's helm, causing the Guardian to flinch before a single click took its place, signaling that the connection was made.

"Guardian? Guardian can you hear me? Well if not, I'm sending the message anyway." Ianos then heard the Exo clear his voice, "Zavala, Ikora, and I would like to personally inform you of an important mission that you may be interested in. Just meet us at the Tower Hangar and we'll give you the rest of the information there."

The transmission then ended with another small click before white noise took over the broadcast once more.

Cutting off the communication, Ianos could hear Ace softly hum in curiosity, "A mission that they want to inform us personally?" The Ghost paused, "It's…not a good thing is it?"

"Most likely," The Guardian responded, "I've known them long enough to know that if they ask me for a meeting at an area that is not at their table, then it is not good news."

"But usually important," Ianos then heard Ace hum once more, "Should we get going then?"

"The sooner the better," The Guardian responded slowly making his way towards the Hangar, "Don't want to stay here longer than necessary."

"But we just got here." Ianos heard his Ghost huff in his helmet, "Why not take a break after we are briefed? It would be a nice change for once."

"And do what? Sit around in our room all day, watching the dying Traveler float in space?" Ianos scoffed, "I would rather spend my energy doing something productive."

"Like roaming around the Cosmodrome killing Fallen?" Ace pointed out, "Or heading to Venus to fight Vex? Or heading to Mars just to – Oh dear."

Puzzled at the sudden voice of surprise in his Ghosts voice, Ianos started, "What is it Ace, is something-" The Guardian's sharp gaze then spotted two figures standing near the steps, chatting with each other as two familiar star shaped forms hovered next to their shoulders. This caused Ianos to come to a sudden halt, his eyes slowly widening in realization before his gaze narrowed.

"A Fireteam?" The Guardian hissed under his breathe, causing Ace to gulp behind their partner's helmet, "I told them not to…" A low growl emitted from Ianos as he made his way towards the pair. As the Warlock closed the distance between himself and the two Guardians, this enabled him a better look at the two. One is a Hunter adorned in green and brown armor, his dark forest cloak draping over his shoulders making this apparent. Easily towering over his fellow Guardian, his black strands reached down to his shoulders and obscured his green hues which were vibrant against his olive features. And human. Not that Ianos was surprised as humans made up majority of the Guardian populace but immediate suspicion distrust wavered in the back of his mind. Feeling his emotions well up inside, the Warlock then forced his attention on the Hunter's comrade and couldn't help but reel back slightly as his gaze paused upon an Exo. Like her partner, her helmet was absent, exposing her silver features and violet optics, both of which stuck out against her copper armor. Although her Titan armor made it apparent of her tough stature, her size says otherwise, barely reaching up to the chest of the Hunter and for Ianos, barely reaching up to his shoulders. Although thanks to experience, Ianos knows better than to doubt a Titan's strength through their size.

Before he could further gather more physical information on the two, the Hunter glanced over and immediately, Ianos felt his eyes lock onto his. Damn Hunters.

"Our new friend is finally here," The Hunter commented as a smile spread across his features, catching the attention of his Exo companion who slowly followed his gaze and her violet optics too locked onto the Warlock Guardian. The human then turned and headed towards Ianos' direction with the female Exo following not too far behind, their Ghosts instantly materializing into their respective partners.

"Ianos?" Ace called out softly in their Guardian's helm, noticing the way his comrade's hands slowly curled into fists.

"You must be Ianos," The human came to a slow halt in front of the Guardian, easily towering over the former as he gave Ianos a soft smile, "It is nice to meet you, my name is Angel." With that he reached out a hand in greeting, causing the smaller Guardian to glance down at his palm. When he gained no reaction, Angel shifted back and forth on his feet nervously before he finally pulled his hand back and coughed, "Well, erm, I heard that you are an experienced Warlock, to the point where you worked on many missions alone." An awkward smiled faded onto his features, "I maybe not be an experienced Hunter yet, but I'll be sure to have your back."

"And I'll have both of your backs!" The female Exo piped in, her glowing violet gaze beaming at the Warlock, "I'm a Titan! So I'll easily be in the front lines breaking through enemy lines to give you guys enough room to fire!" She then bowed low before standing back upright, "Carina-23 at your service!"

"Cayde told us that we all should meet in the Hangar and head to the Cosmodrome to learn how to work as a Fireteam," Angel added, "Merely for practice and to learn how to coordinate each other's-"

"No."

Startled, Angel stumbled over his words a bit, his green eyes blinking once, "E-Excuse me."

"I said no," Ianos narrowed his eyes, his fingers twitching before curling back into fists, "Cayde, Zavala, and Ikora did not inform me of being part of a new Fireteam."

This time, it was Carina's turn to blink, "But, Cayde said-"

"I have no time for this," Ianos interrupted before turning his attention to his Ghost, "Ace, contact Ikora, Zavala, or Cayde. Just contact anyone. I need to speak to them."

"But, Ianos-"

"Now."

Hearing the malice through his Guardian's clenched teeth, Ace quickly started scanning, locating one of the Vanguard's Ghost easily within the Hall of Guardians. Connecting the frequency, quite noise filled the Guardian's helmet before the familiar 'click' resounded through his ears.

"Hello?" It was Cayde's voice.

"Cayde." Ianos growled, hearing the Exo pause on the other end of the line, "Get all three of you on the line now or else I'm storming in there with Nova Bomb at ready."

Hearing the Exo Hunter sputter words in an attempt to explain himself, Cayde finally managed to form the words, "Now, now, Ianos, there's no need to-" The Exo was interrupted by two more clicks through the coms, signaling that two more connections were made.

"This is Ianos I take it?" Ikora's voice echoed through his helm.

"Yes," The Warlock's eyes narrowed, "Didn't I tell the three of you that I am not interested in a new Fireteam? I am fine working alone."

"See?"

"Cayde," Zavala sighed through the broadcast, causing the Exo to mutter under his breathe, before adding, "Ianos, I understand why you prefer working alone but it is time for you to move on."

"I already have," The Guardian glowered, "I just don't like being dragged down by others."

"You don't sound so certain," Ikora's voice popped in, causing the Warlock to frown behind his helm.

"Look, Ianos," Zavala quickly butted in, "just give Angel and Carina a chance. Unlike the past teams we have assigned to you, they are just two guardians who needs a push in the right direction. It may take some time but who knows, you three may work best together instead of a full team, if of course there is time and practice."

Pondering on the words of the Titan, Ianos turned his gaze back towards Angel and Carina as Zavala added in, "You may not want to admit it, but there is a limit on working alone."

Glowering at the words of the Vanguard Titan, Ianos heaved out a sigh of defeat, "Fine." With that, three clicks could be heard, signaling the end of the transmission.

Now his attention fully back onto the Human and Exo, it was only then that Ianos noticed the puzzled looks on the Hunter and the Titan.

"Just a 'friendly' conversation with the Vanguard," The Warlock stated, earning a look of disbelief from Angel while as Carina just blinked, "I'll work with this Fireteam, most likely temporarily but, we'll see." He then put one hand on his hip as he added, "So where in the Cosmodrome exactly are we going to have this 'training' regiment?"


	3. Too Many Questions

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Too Many Questions_**

 _I apologize for the slightly late update. I thought this chapter was good and ready to go until I reread it today and suddenly realized that I wasn't satisfied with it. So sudden last minutes changes was added. So if you see any mistakes at all, feel free to send a message!_

 _And remember! Monday Updates! :D_

 ** _Edited: 12/30/2016_**

 _Fixed this chapter to properly align with later chapters and to fix grammar mistakes. Wednesday updates.  
_

* * *

"You are not going to sit any closer?"

Snapping out of his trance, Ianos forced his gaze away from the makeshift flames burning near the Exo and the Hunter and stared at the Titan as she added, "What is that phrase that humans use? We don't bite?" She gained a nod of confirmation from the Hunter as she glanced her violet optics at him, "Well, we're not going to do you harm if that's the case."

Giving the Exo a blank stare behind his helmet, Ianos gently brushed his fingers over his Ghost, his AI glancing up at him from his lap. The three of them had set up camp within the wall, having left the Tower on foot, and hardly had reached the crumbling fortress when night fell. Although the female Titan protested at first about staying within the room where they are currently camping, she relented when the human Hunter pointed out that the room was the most secure, especially with two different entrances (and exits if it needs be). After pushing aside any broken stones and rusted tools, the three of them settled down, only for the male Warlock to immediately distant himself once Angel started a fire, much to the bewilderment of the younger Guardians

"I am fine where I am," The Awoken Warlock responded, pausing when he heard Ace let out a small sound of protest, letting his fingers slide off the Ghost's shell as he added, "Although I want to know why the two of you wanted to make a fire."

Ianos watched as Angel let out a shrug, "Not quite sure myself. Guess to keep warm? Habit?"

The male Warlock gave the Hunter a blank stare before shaking his head and resumed tapping his fingers against Ace's shell, only to pause once more when the latter let out another sound of protest.

"What's that shake of the head for?" Ianos can easily sense the glare he received behind Carina's visor, "Is it because of Angel making a fire? Is it unheard of to you?" The male Warlock then heard the female Titan let out a scoff, "How can that not make sense to you when you made us walk here without the aid of our Sparrows or ships?"

Fixating his gaze onto the Exo Guardian, Ianos mentally thanked the Traveler for his helmet hiding his features, barely keeping his face straight as the edges of his lips twitched upwards at the younger Guardian's question. He didn't exactly find it 'funny' but more so amusing, the naivety and cluelessness of the female Titan getting the best of him. For Ianos, there was just a side of him that just couldn't help but feel tickled when it comes to Newborns, especially when it comes to their questions.

"Our armor and Light naturally adjusts the temperature around our bodies," Ianos responded, "If the air around us is cold, our armor will simply take in some of our Light and increase the temperature. Vice versa if it is hot. This in turn, makes starting a fire obsolete, at least, for us Guardians."

Immediately Carina crossed her arms and Ianos can easily sense the pout behind her helmet, "And what about making us walk to our destination?"

"Training," Ianos can tell his answer caught the two younger Guardians off guard, proven from the way not only Carina but also Angel reeled back at his response, "As you know, Sparrow and ships are our primary use of transportation. However, what happens if those two are unavailable to us? Especially when we are stranded on another planet?" Momentarily pausing to wait for an answer, Ianos continued when he received none, "We have to rely on traversing on foot, to either head back to the Tower if we are on Earth or to find another mode of transportation if we find ourselves stranded on another planet."

"And how does this help?"

The male Warlock sighed at the female Titan's question, "As you know, we can utilize our Light in many ways. One of which, expands our stamina. I highly doubt normal beings can traverse the Wilds with little to no rest for several days in a row." Ianos paused when he noticed Angel lean in, his hands in his lap tapping against each other as if impatient on learning the next part of information. Amused by this, Ianos considered asking why the Hunter seemed excited to take in this new information but decided against it; if he himself asks questions, he will get attached and he wants to avoid that as much as possible.

"Bringing you out here without the aid of our Sparrows will help you learn how to utilize your Light into helping you traverse the terrain, such as jumping over large obstacles or to simply to help you walk for long periods of time." Ianos continued, "As such, next time when you complain about 'walking', this training regimen can save your life later."

Hearing Carina grumble under her breath, Ianos took the opportunity to stand, feeling Ace leave his lap as he picked himself up.

"Where are you going?" It was Angel who asked the question, the young Hunter tilting his head curiously as Ianos responded, "Patrol." The Warlock sensed the bewildered look behind Angel's visor, "We maybe inside the Wall but the Scavengers are known to be quite slippery, who knows if they are watching us as we speak?"

"They are Eliksni."

Ianos paused as the Hunter seem taken back at his own outburst, his back going rigid as he leaned back, and the male Guardian can imagine his eyes wide behind his visor. At first intrigued by the human Guardian's reaction, Ianos decided to shrug it off; it was apparent from the way Angel fidgeted in his seat that it was something he wishes not to talk about, and what right does Ianos have to burrow his way into his secrets?

"I will be back, shouldn't take that long," Ianos then focused his attention onto Ace, the latter of which twirled their back fins once as the Warlock added, "Keep an eye out for any intruders. I hate to admit it, but sometimes those… 'Eliksni' can slip right past me."

Watching Angel's shoulders relax from the edges of his vision, Ianos waited until Ace let out a nod before unsheathing his pulse rifle from his back. Then with a single nod to the black and orange Ghost, Ianos turned and exited the room.

Xxxxx

Angel waited until the Awoken Warlock disappeared from sight to reach up and press the button underneath his chin, hearing the familiar sound of air being release before reaching up and removing his helmet. Shaking his head to get his hair out of his face, Angel then laid his helmet to the side and fixated his gaze into the fire, listening to the flames crackle and burn the small amount of materials he could gather.

"Does he think himself better than us?" The human Hunter turned and blinked at the female Titan before he asked, "What do you mean?"

"From the way that he doesn't want to sit near us," Carina gestured her hand towards the door where the Warlock had just exited, "Why else he wouldn't want to sit next to the fire?"

"For reasons."

Angel couldn't help but let out a snort as Carina let out a yelp, the female Titan immediately leaning away from the source of the voice.

"Oh, did I startle you? My apologies." It was the black and orange Ghost, Ianos' Ghost – Ace if Angel remembers overhearing – Watching the latter glide over to the fire, the pair watched as Ace silently watched the flickering flames, their tail fins flexing and twirling on their back on occasion.

"You're Ianos' Ghost right?" Carina broke the silence, Angel watching Ace turn their orange optic towards the female Titan, "Aren't you supposed to be with him?"

"Oh, he'll be alright," Ace twirled their parts once again, "Ianos can take care of himself." The AI turned his bright orange gaze towards the fire, "Anyway, he always said to come and look for him if he doesn't return within minutes, an hour if he is on patrol."

"You do not worry?" Angel asked, in which Ace snapped their gaze towards the Hunter, causing the Human to jump slightly at the sudden movement.

"Of course I worry," Ace lamented before turning their gaze back towards the fire, "He just likes to be alone." The Ghost twirled their parts once more, "Helps him clear his mind."

Angel heard Carina let out a huff, "Clear his mind of what? Guilty conscience?"

"You can say that," Angel couldn't help but let curiosity peak at the Ghost's answer, watching as the black and orange Ghost turn their attention towards the two younger Guardians, "As you know, unlike the two of you, Ianos has been around for centuries, dedicating his life to ensure the safety of not only the City but the galaxy as well." Hearing the Ghost pause, Angel kept his green hues on Ace's form as the latter non-chalantly glided around the fire, as if a Ghost equivalent to pacing before they continued, "Now imagine all those years, do you not think that one would not carry heavy scars?"

Angel blinked, "Heavy…scars?" Watching the Ghost bob up and down once, curiosity once again ate away at the back of his mind. During his short months of staying at the Tower, Angel had met plenty of other Guardians who are 'experienced', believing those that are just reaching their triple digits are the oldest of the Soldiers of Light. But when he had heard that there are those who are much older, those who are still around since the beginning of the age of the Guardians, Angel had wanted to meet one for himself. So, when he had heard that he was going to be part of a Fireteam with Ianos, a Warlock he had heard is notorious for his age, he couldn't help but jump at the chance to learn anything about the Guardian. Be it negative or positive.

"What kind of scars?" Hearing Ace heave out a sigh and watching the Ghost's optic give him a blank stare, Angel couldn't help he may have overstepped a boundary. He can easily sense the narrowed glare from behind Ace's optic and the way their shell quivered in annoyance just adds to his sense of unease. However, no sooner had he sensed the glare when the Ghost heaved out another sigh and he watched the intensity of their stare fade.

"You think those tubes wrapped around his armor is for decoration?" That's when Angel paused at the Ghost's question, letting his mind wander back when he had first encountered the male Warlock. He had seen the glowing tubes of light wrapped around his helmet and arms and at first, he indeed thought of it as decorations. Honestly, who wouldn't? The Hunter himself, despite his young age, had seen plenty of other Guardians walk around with streams of light attached to their armor, waltzing around as if owning the Tower. But now that the black and orange Ghost have brought it up, it had never occurred to Angel there could be another reason why Guardian Ianos have those tubes of light wrapped around his gear.

"I can tell that the two of you are curious." Angel snapped out of his thoughts at Ace's words, "I cannot give you the details but all I can say is that during a mission, things went…awry. And now, without that equipment that you currently see on him, he would be in constant agony and if left unattended, he would die."

"Why can't you tell us more?" Angel couldn't help but mentally echo Carina's question, "We are a team now, right?"

"Correction, a 'temporary' team," The human Hunter can easily sense the glare the female Titan gave the black and orange Ghost, "As of now. The Vanguard informed us that we are simply giving this team a chance. But who knows, this 'temporary' team might turn into a 'permanent' team, if this mission goes correctly."

"So, if we become a permanent team, then can you tell us the reason why he wears that extra gear?"

Angel couldn't help but snicker at the blank look that Carian received from Ace, "If you want an honest answer, we can only inform the reason to those that he trusts."

That's when the human Hunter paused, "So, he doesn't trust us?"

"If you want an honest answer, yes," That's when Angel's face fell. He knows that they only had met the Awoken Warlock just recently but, it was still disappointing to hear that the older Guardian doesn't trust them. At least not yet. Angel just hopes that if they do form a permanent team, then perhaps in time, his trust can be gained.

Ace must have seen the solemn expression on the human Hunter's expression for Angel then heard the Ghost state, "Don't take it personal, trust takes time, especially with Ianos." Angel watched the Ghost's parts shifted against their core as they added, "You have to remember, he's old, ancient compared to you two." They then glided over to the fire, hovering just a mere inches away from the flames, "especially what had occurred with his previous Fireteams."

This immediately caught Angel's attention, "What happened?"

That's when the human Hunter watched Ace's parts come to a sudden halt, their shell scrunching together as they slowly glided away from the fire, "I-I can't answer that."

Angel's shoulders slumped in disappointment, "But-"

"No buts," When Ace shook their parts back and forth furiously, Angel couldn't help but give the Ghost a frown, "Is there 'anything' you can tell us about Ianos?"

It was then the human Hunter heard Ace let out a few clicks, a sign that he recognizes as a Ghost deep in thought, "Well, we just had discovered this ourselves but I believe it's insignificant enough that it shouldn't do us harm if we share it with you?"

Angel blinked, "Insignificant?"

"Oh, come on now." The human Hunter watched as Ace turned their orange optic towards him, "We had just met. You expect me to give you an important piece of information immediately?"

Letting out a pout, Angel then crossed his arms as he leaned back in his seat. Although bitter about the secrecy of the Guardian and Ghost, the human Hunter couldn't help but mentally agree. But then, just as Cayde had informed him, patience is both a trait and a virtue amongst Hunters. Luckily, Angel holds plenty of it.

"The information that the two of us discovered is that he is a Reefborn."

Quickly, Angel's disappointment shifted to that one of interest. He had heard of the Reefborn, Awoken born on the far reaches of space and teetering between the edges of darkness and light. They were an isolated society, preferring keeping to themselves than make alliances to anyone outside of their home and are strongly against 'trespassers', to the point where he had heard they would sometimes fire ships that wander into their territory without warning. As such, he had thought that Reefborn Awoken being Guardians were near impossible at least, until now.

"A Reefborn?"

Instantly Angel turned his attention towards Carina, seeing her head tilted in bewilderment, "What's a Reefborn?"

"You don't know?" Angel found himself asking, "They're an Awoken born on the Reef." The human Hunter can easily sense the bewildered stare behind the female Titan's visor, "The Reef…"

Another puzzled look.

"Where the Awoken live?"

"…What?"

"Near the edge where Light and Darkness touch?"

"Oh!" That's when Angel can sense the realization emit from the young Titan, however, no sooner had she realized her question when the human Hunter saw her shoulders go rigid and her breathing hitched, "Wait, so how did Ianos get here then?"

Letting the same question echo in the back of his mind, Angel turned his attention back towards the black and orange Ghost only to see the latter's parts shift up and down, "No idea. Like most Guardians, majority of Ianos' memories are missing. So even he doesn't know how he got here." Ace then glided around the fire several times as if pacing in thought, "And even then, that random piece of information I just gave you we just had learned ourselves several years ago."

"So he's a mystery even to himself?" Angel asked in which he received a shrug from the Ghost as an answer.

"In part," The AI admitted as they glided around the fire once more, hovering just above the flames, "the rest he's just not all that curious." They then paused and turned their gaze at the flames, "'The past is the past, it's time to move on' he says."

"But yet he can't let go of his previous Fireteams?"

Angel watched as Ace to paused, "…How did you figure that out?"

The human Hunter couldn't help but give the ghost a sheepish smile, "Well, he wasn't exactly 'quiet' with his conversation with the Vanguard earlier today."

"Yeah," The human Guardian heard Carina laugh, "I was honestly surprised, never heard anyone speak to the Vanguard like that. Does Ianos have a history with them?"

Watching Ace scrunch their parts together, most likely in embarrassment, Angel then heard the Ghost stutter out, "N-Not exactly. If you want an honest answer, he met them several years after the Tower was implemented."

"Several years after?" Angel heard Carina ask, earning a nod from the Ghost, "Just how old is Ianos?"

"You have to ask him that," Ace responded, "I maybe a Ghost but even I don't record everything."

"How about his previous Fireteams?" Angel asked.

"No! Definitely no!"

The Human hunter couldn't help but blink at Ace's reaction, "Why the sudden raise in voice? You hiding something from us?"

"I did not raise my voice," The human Hunter couldn't help but smile at the black and orange Ghost's protest, "And no, we are not hiding anything."

This prompted Angel to press on, "Did something happen to Ianos' previous Fireteams? How many teams did he go through?"

The Human Hunter can easily sense the blank stare he received from the black and orange Ghost, "…You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

That's when Angel heard the Ghost heave out a sigh and refocus their optic onto the two young Guardians, "As you know, Ianos is ancient. And as such, he went through many teams, even ones that aren't on record." Ace then spun their back fins once as they added, "Currently, he had been recorded to have been on twelve teams, if you include this one."

"Twelve on record?" Angel muttered to himself, tilting his head thoughtfully as he added "So there are others that aren't recorded?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" Angel watched as Ace's shell shook in annoyance, "If you want to know more, you have to ask Ianos himself."

"Ask me what?"

All eyes turned towards one of the entrances, only for everyone to recognize the azure and black clad Warlock slowly making his way through the shadows, his pulse rifle resting on his shoulder.

"How was the patrol?" Angel heard the black and orang Ghost ask, watching Ace gleefully glide towards their Guardian as their back fins spun excitedly.

"A few Fallen but took care of them quickly," The Warlock responded as he shrugged, "although one of us should keep watch in case one might sneak up on us when we're resting."

"I can take first – What is that?" Angel's green eyes suddenly went to Ianos' free hand, recognizing the tubes and helm of a Vandal in the Awoken's grasp, "That's a head."

Angel then felt the Warlock's gaze shift towards him, causing the young Hunter shift uneasily in his seat as Ianos held up the Fallen's head, letting droplets of Ether fall from the loose tubes, "Was planning to use the blood to spread around the camp, specifically a Vandal, that way lowering ranking Fallen will take in the scent and lowers our chances of being ambushed."

"Curious," Angel heard Carina comment, watching the female Titan lean in curiously "Does it work?"

Angel watched as she gained a shrug from the Warlock, "To my knowledge, yes, but you never know how long this trick will work." With his words spoken, Ianos then hooked his weapon back onto his back, then gripped the head of the Vandal with both hands, and to the disbelief of the Hunter and the Titan, crushed the Fallen's skull, letting loose a pool of flesh and bone. Watching Ianos shake his hands to rid as much of the Fallen chunks, Angel couldn't help but gulp as Ianos then glanced up at him and Carina, "Do any of you have a spare cloth? I have to start spreading this around before night fully rises." He then used his foot to start crushing the larger chunks, "The Fallen are fully active when darkness hits."

"I- I just – how…" Hearing the disbelief emit behind Carina's visor, the human Hunter took the chance to distract himself from the sound of crunching bone and flesh as he raised up his hand and the white and red form of his Ghost materialized into his palm. Then quickly shifting through his Vault, Angel then materialized a piece of cloth into his grip and then tossed it towards the male Warlock without a second thought, "Will that work?"

Sensing Ianos' stare behind his visor, Angel couldn't help but shift uneasily in his seat once more before the Warlock finally glanced down at the cloth in his hands, then fixate his gaze back onto the Hunter and nodding once before proceeding to kneel down, dipped the cloth in the Fallen's vermillion blood and started spreading it throughout their camp. Noticing the Warlock keep a safe distance from the fire, Angel made a mental note to ask the reason why later as he watched the older Guardian work.

Letting the silence permeate between the three of them, Angel waited until he saw Ianos pause, admire his work, and then tossed the bloodied rag into the fire, watching the Veteran Guardian stare silently at the burning flames before resuming his spot in the shadows, a sign for Ace to glide back into the lap of their Guardian.

Staying momentarily quiet, Angel then decided to break the silence, "So, I take first watch?"

The Hunter glanced over at Ianos nervously, shifting on his makeshift bed as the Warlock returned the glance with a stare of his own, the dim light of their fire illuminating the Guardian's bronze helmet, causing the dark visor to give off an intimidating light. Moments pass before the Warlock waved a hand, "If you insist." Angel heaved out a sigh of relief, watching Ianos then lift his hand, a sign for Ace to glide out of his lap, land in his palm and materialize into the Warlock's armor. Then finally, Ianos turned his attention towards Carina, "I'll trust that you'll take next watch if he proves incompetent to last the night."

"Hey!" Angel felt his face flush at Ianos' words, hearing Carina snap at the Warlock only for the Exo to growl as the Warlock calmly turned his back and lied down, the fire illuminating his form, "Don't ignore me! I know you're still awake!"

"Carina, please lower your voice," Angel hushed, glancing around in the dark nervously before he added, "our enemies may smell the blood as their own, but they still can hear."

Hearing Carina grumble under her breath, the human Hunter couldn't help but sheepishly smile as the female Titan crossed her arms in a pout, "Wake me up when it is my turn for my watch." Watching her lower herself to lie down, she then paused, as if suddenly remembering something, "Actually no, don't. Prove to him that you can stay up for watch the rest of the night." Angel couldn't help but reel back at the female Guardian's words, "I beg your pardon?"

However, his words were ignored, the female Titan easily lying down onto her side and the lights of her armor powered down; a sign to the human Hunter that she had sunk into slumber.

Heaving out a sigh as he watched the female Exo rest, the human Hunter then turned his attention towards Ianos, carefully listening to the breathing patterns of the Awoken Guardian. Hearing the familiar sounds of air pumping through tubes caused Angel to blink, his green eyes scanning the Warlock even further. It was then he noticed small silicone tubes winding around Ianos' shoulders and connecting to his arms and slithering into his coat, connecting itself into what's hiding in his armor. And what's keeping him alive.

"The hell you have been through," He whispered to himself as he listened to the Warlock's breathing pattern even out, signaling that he had fallen asleep.

"What do you think of your new Fireteam member?"

Alarmed by the voice breaking the silence of the room they were camping in, Angel quickly regained his composure as the familiar red and white form of his Ghost glided in front of him, her green optic gaze blinking once at her Guardian, "Hope, enjoyed the free ride on our way here?"

The white and red ghost's plates shifted on her body before locking her parts back into place, "You mean stayin' inside that system in that suit of yours. No way!" The Ghost then glided down onto Angel's lap, resting herself on his thigh, "I like the open air and free movement, thank you very much."

Angel chuckled at his Ghost before resting his hand gently on top of the AI, causing Hope to let out a small hum in content, "To answer your first question, I am not quite sure." Letting his fingers follow the linking on his Ghost, Angel added, "Ace is an interesting Ghost, conforming to the demands of his Guardian just like any other . Ianos…" The Hunter just heaved out a sigh, "I know for certain that gaining his trust is going to be an obstacle in this team."

Hope glanced up at the Human Hunter, her green optic blinking once, "Then gain it, shouldn't be that hard" The Ghost then slipped past the Guardian's fingers, gliding just a few inches away from the human's face, "I mean, that's how it works, right?"

Giving his Ghost a small smile, Angel lifted up his palm so that his AI partner could glide over and settle onto his hand, "I wish it was simple as asking him to trust me, but I have heard of his title, 'The Black Death.' That alone says a lot of his background." He then brought the Ghost close to his chest, heaving out a sigh, "It is going to take a lot of work to get through to him."

Glancing up at her Guardian, Hope's optics blinked once before adding, "Hopefully not that much work." The Ghost then levitated off of the Human's hand, gliding just a few feet away before she added, "I miss the days when we had no work and it was just the two of us scoutin' around." She released a small sigh, "The good old days."

His smile growing bigger on his olive features, Angel then motioned for the AI to glide closer in which she complied, "Then I have one small 'adventure' for you, friend."

Watching Hope blink once at him, Angel waited until his Ghost glided closer before leaning in and whispering, "You still have access to the Vanguard Database?"

Almost immediately, Hope's green optic lit up, "Of course I do. Just because Cayde said to lay off doesn't mean I didn't cut off the connection to their network."

Letting a smile form onto his features once more, Angel then stated, "Then how about do a search for me?" Motioning for the female Ghost to glide in closer, the human Hunter waited until she complied, "Look for a file on Ianos, I want to know as much about him as I can."


	4. The Archon

_**Tormented**_

 _ **The Archon**_

 _ **Edited: 1/9/2017**_

* * *

"Ianos' Ghost's statements hold true, includin' us, he has been at least through twelve Fireteams." A few clicks passed through the Hunter's helmet, "The ones that are on record anyway."

Glancing at Ianos and Carina in front of him, Angel nodded his head behind his helmet, signaling to Hope to continue as he followed the Warlock and the Titan through the Cosmodrome. It has taken the female Ghost a few hours during Angel's watch during the night to access the database, to the point where by the time she had finally gone through, it was time to move on. Nonetheless, the few hours that it had taken them to traverse through the grassy terrain, Hope had found Ianos' file and both Ghost and Guardian were surprised to see a substantial amount of information, all of which traced back to when the Awoken Warlock first encountered the Vanguard. Although, at first, disappointed about not accessing information that goes back farther, the human Hunter was satisfied enough to at least access the older Guardian's data, especially when Hope found the information on the teams that Ianos had previously worked with.

"Many of the Fireteams only consisted of Ianos and two others." The Ghost continued, Angel hearing her let out a few clicks as she skimmed through information, "out of the twelve, includin' us, there were nine. The other three were teams of six."

"How many were in the Fireteam prior to us?"

"Uh, hold on," The human Hunter heard Hope let out small hum before she finally responded, "There were three, includin' Ianos, on the previous Fireteam." Not long after she answered her Guardian's question, she let out a few tuts, "However, they didn't last long. Apparently, they insulted Ianos somehow and he forced them off the Tower."

"He what?"

"Don't worry, they lived," Angel still couldn't help but let the sense of unease linger in the back of his mind, "although afterwards, they immediately disbanded. Didn't even get to pick out a name for themselves, let alone a single mission."

"How about the ones before that team?"

"There were six includin' Ianos," Angel heard Hope let out a hum once more, "Two Hunters, two Titans, and a Warlock."

"Anything on them?"

"H'mm, well." The Hunter heard her let out a few clicks as she remarked, "Let's start off with – oh god damn it."

"What's wrong?"

"Someone cut me off from the system." There was a pause as Angel heard beeps and white noise flow through his helmet, "and I can't seem to reconnect."

"And that would be because of me."

Silence permeated between the Guardian and Ghost, the former letting out a nervous smile as the familiar voice of the Exo Hunter echoed through Angel's helmet.

"Come on kid, don't act so shocked," Angel could hear the Vanguard Hunter chuckle through the coms, "I was the one who taught you to hack these systems. Think a trick like that would pass these eyes?"

"I – uh," The Human Hunter stumbled over his words, his green eyes glancing over at his teammates once more, ensuring their eyes were in front before the human responded, "I – I just…. I can explain."

"Yeah, explain why your Ghost is hacking Vanguard systems behind our backs. Again." Cayde snickered, "and looking up information on other Guardians. Again."

"Well… I…"

"Yeah, I thought so," Angel then heard Cayde heave out a quiet sigh, "Look kid, as much as I understand your curiosity on the guy, getting to know him 'this way' is not the right way to do it. Trust me."

"But I know nothing about him," Angel retorted, frowning behind his helmet as he whispered, "and he refuses to give anything besides his name."

"Well everyone keeps secrets, kid," The Exo Hunter stated, causing the human to go silent in his helmet, "especially someone as old as Ianos. If you live as long as he did, you will have plenty of secrets to keep."

"Wait." Angel paused "Just how old is Ianos?"

"Well, if you want an honest answer. I don't know."

Angel blinked, "You…don't know?"

"Hey kid, he's old to the point when I first met him, he was on his fourth Fireteam and hadn't even ventured out of Earth's system yet."

"Wait…what?"

"Just…Just don't look through the database anymore, alright, kid?" Angel could hear the Exo huff behind his coms, "especially on Ianos. If he figures out you were looking up his file, he would be furious. And he won't just Nova Bomb you off the Tower either if he figures it out."

"Wait, Nova bomb me-"

"Good luck kid, and try not to get on Ianos' bad side, alright?"

With that, a click echoed through Angel's helmet, causing the Human Hunter to pause, his eyebrows scrunched together in bewilderment.

"Uh, Hope? What does Cayde mean when he said that Ianos will Nova Bomb me off the Tower?"

Hope clicked in response, "Of course. Remember the team that I told you about, where he shoved them off the side of the Tower? Well, he didn't just 'shove' them off, he used his Nova Bomb to destroy the side of the Plaza to send them reelin' off the edge." She paused as she let out a thoughtful hum, "If I remember correctly, that wasn't enough for Ianos. No sooner did their Ghosts resurrect them at the bottom, Ianos was there, apparently ready to finish them off." Hearing the words echo from his Ghost, Angel took in a shaky gulp as the AI added, "If it wasn't for the Vanguard, he would have killed them outright."

"Wait, kill!?"

"Is everything alright, Angel?"

Snapping out of his conversation with his Ghost, Angel glanced up at his team, seeing the Awoken and the Exo having paused and turned, their weapons still ready in their hands.

"You were muttering to yourself for a while now," The human Hunter watched Carina tilt her head, sensing the bewildered stare behind her visor as she added, "Is something the matter? Are you hurt?"

"I- uh, uhm, no," Angel felt heat rise to his cheeks, his fingers scrambling to keep his weapon steady in his hand, "I was just – uh…"

The human Hunter turned his green eyes to Ianos, sensing the narrowed stare behind the Warlock's Visor as he felt the latter's eyes on him. Moments later, Ianos' head shifted on his shoulders, as if rolling his eyes, "Oh great, I have a mad man following behind me."

Caught off guard from the Awoken's words, Angel's jaw went slack, his eyes wide as the Warlock turned and started walking, causing the female Exo to blink and glance back and forth between the two men. Seeing Carina pause her gaze on him, Angel waited, expecting her to say more to him, only to reel back as she turned and walked away as well but not before catching her murmurs.

"Is he suffering from what humans call insanity?"

Xxx

"Zavala said that a Fallen Archon is stationed here along the Forgotten Shore," Carina explained as the three peeked over rocks, only to duck behind as the familiar form of a Shank buzzed by, "apparently, he is gathering all the Fallen he can. For what reason is unknown, but the Vanguard didn't want to risk letting the Archon gather an army."

"So kill the Archon before he amasses an army?" Ianos heaved out a sigh, "Now I understand why Zavala and the others wanted me to tag along."

"Hey," Carina gave Ianos a look, "Zavala told us that the reason why he, Ikora, and Cayde assigned you to us was not to only teach us how to be a Guardian, but to keep an eye on us in case things go wrong."

"Great, so I'm a babysitter?"

"Hey!"

"Carina!" Angel warned, his voice lowered into a hushed tone, his green eyes warily glancing over his shoulder. Putting his finger on his helmet where his lips would be, the human Hunter then edged near the end of the boulder, and carefully peeked over the edge. Almost instantly, sparks of arc energy narrowly missed the Hunter's head, causing the human to quickly pull himself back into cover, his fingers now on the trigger of his hand cannon.

"Contact," Angel announced, causing Ianos to shake his head.

"Just keep up," Ianos loaded up his Pulse Rifle before jumping over the boulder, aiming his weapon and peeking through his scope.

"Wait! Ianos!" Calling out for the Warlock, Angel pulled himself out from cover, signaling to the Exo Titan to do the same, "There's too many-"

He was cut off as gunfire echoed through the canyon, the human's jaw going slack as the Warlock plowed through the squadron of Dreg, the sound of ether escaping through the air as the Awoken flawlessly shot the lower ranking Fallen with precision.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?" The Warlock Guardian called as he headshot another Dreg, the body falling short near his feet, "the Archon isn't going to kill itself."

"Pfeh," Carina scowled, readying her Auto Rifle in her hands as she jumped over the boulder and stood next to the Human Hunter, "I'll show you." With that she rushed into the fray as well, causing the Human to stare, wide eyed.

"By the Traveler," Angel breathed as he steadied his hand cannon and then started firing into the mass of Fallen, watching as he crippled a Dreg and then fired on the head of another.

"Ace, where is the Archon?" Ianos called out, taking out his fusion rifle barely in time to shoot a Vandal in the chest, watching the body fly into two others before dissipating into matter.

"Up top of that hill," The Awoken Warlock heard Ace let out a few clicks, "there are three Captains with it though, Reavers." There was a pause as Ianos' Ghost further scanned the enemy, "Will you be able to handle that?"

Reloading his fusion rifle, Ianos frowned behind his helmet, his glowing eyes glancing back at the Hunter and Titan not too far behind him, "You mean me or the other two?"

There was a pause, causing Ianos to frown even further behind his helmet as he switches to his Pulse Rifle, pumping bullets into the surrounding Dreg as he waited for a response.

"Look, just be careful," Ace finally responded, "and make sure that the two of them make it out alive with you."

"If they're good, they wouldn't die from a simple mission like this," Ianos retorted, shooting a Vandal in the head with his weapon, "they'll make it through this mission." He paused, glancing around at the bodies of the lower ranking Fallen around him, "They have to make it through the mission." Hearing his Guardian's voice lower into a whisper, Ace strained to listen and barely caught the last gist of his sentence, "I'll never forgive them."

Xxx

Glancing over the bodies of the Fallen surrounding them, Angel couldn't help but shift nervously on the side of his feet as he watched Carina glance up and wave her hand, keeping her weapon steady in her opposing grip as she announced, "That's all of them."

"I'll believe you only for the reason that nothing is firing at us," The human Hunter can sense the glare that Carina sent towards Ianos' way, the Awoken Warlock calmly reloading his pulse rifle as if he had just not subtly insulted her, "Ace reported that the Archon is up on that hill." Angel turned his gaze towards where the Veteran Guardian had nodded towards, his green hues immediately spotting remnants of a collapsed building, the rust and decay clear on its side.

"Although it is not alone," The young Hunter turned his gaze back towards Ianos, "It has three Reaver Captains by its side and considering how close we were when clearing out its 'army', it is more than likely they heard us. In other words, they're prepared."

"So catching them off guard is out of the equation then," Angel sighed, his shoulders slumped, "so what else does that leave us with?"

"Charging in of course," Carina chimed in, earning her a blank stare from the human Hunter.

"No," Angel couldn't help but heave out a sigh of relief from Ianos' rebuttal, although once again, he can sense the narrowed glance Carina sent towards the Warlock, "They have the higher ground and we're out in the open. We'll be fried from their arc weaponry before we can even reach them." Seeing the Veteran Guardian turn his gaze towards the hill, Angel followed his example only to see the familiar horned helm of a Reaver Captain duck back into the safety of the rusted debris, "Charging in is not an option."

Although relieved that charging in was out of the equation, Angel couldn't help but tap the side of his hand cannon nervously, keeping his grip tight on his weapon as his fingers tapped away. Mentally listing off his weaponry, an idea then sprang into the young Hunter's mind when he came to a pause on his secondary weapon. He had just picked it out recently but Angel liked the feel of it in his hands back in the shooting range, especially when the head of his target are blasted into shrapnel, leaving nothing but a torn neck of where it once had been. Absent-mindedly reaching up with one of his hands to finger the nozzle of his sniper, Angel then suggested, "How about drawing them out?"

Watching Ianos suddenly snap his gaze towards him, Angel couldn't help but jump, especially when he sensed the Warlock's gaze narrow behind his visor, "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Just need a distraction," Holstering his hand cannon to his waist, Angel continued, "if they could just peek their head over the hills, then I can pick them off with this." The human Hunter then removed his sniper from his back, hefting it in his hands before holding it out, as if presenting a trophy to his team.

It was then silence permeated between the three Guardians, Angel shifting nervously on his feet as he waited for a response, his hold on his weapon slacking as he slowly brought it closer to his chest. Moments later, Ianos tilted his head slightly, Angel hearing the Warlock let out a small hum as if contemplating on his plan, "It can work." The human Hunter then froze as Ianos then asked, "You do know how to use a sniper, right?"

Feeling his face heat up, Angel clutched the weapon close to his chest as he lowered his gaze towards the floor, "I, er, sort of?" Almost immediately, he can sense Ianos' gaze harden before a sigh escaped the Awoken Warlock; a sign of disapproval.

"Sort of? What is that supposed to mean?" Angel heard Ianos scoff, "Don't tell me you decided to pick up a Sniper Rifle with no idea how to use it?"

The human Hunter lifted his gaze off the dry hearth, shame quickly filling up within his chest, "Uhm..."

"Never mind," Angel's face fell at Ianos' words, "If you have no experience with the rifle, then we'll just –"

"I can do it."

Immediately, the human Hunter sensed the cold stare emit behind Ianos' visor, causing Angel to gulp as the Warlock took several slow steps closer. Despite Ianos being at least half a head shorter than him, the Awoken Guardian's stiff posture and the power of the void coming to life in his fingertips was enough to signal to Angel to lean away from the smaller Guardian, especially when he shoved his helmet into the Hunter's, causing Angel to stumble a bit before regaining his footing only to nervously shift on the back of his feet.

"You can do it?" The young Guardian heard Ianos growl, only to feel the older Guardian press his helmet even further against Angel's, causing him to lean back even further, "You can do it despite having no experience with the weapon? You can do it despite having just picked it up?"

"I- I- uh –"

"You do realize that that 'if' the Fallen somehow does peek over that hill, that it will take more than one shot to kill them? They have solar shields for Traveler's sake." Angel couldn't help but let guilt build up in the back of his mind as Ianos snapped, "Carina and I will have to be the ones to distract them. You do realize that if you miss, that it can endanger both of our lives?" Finally, Angel felt the pressure on his helmet leave, watching Ianos take several steps back as he finished, "If they manage to incapacitate both of us, there is no possible way that you can take all three Reavers and the Archon on your own."

"Don't you have any faith in us at all!?"

Jumping from the outburst, Angel snapped his gaze towards the copper clad Titan, sensing the icy glare that she was giving towards the male Awoken.

"Both Angel and I may not have been around as long as you but the two of us worked hard enough to get this far on our own!" Carina shouted, Angel watching her grip on her weapon tightening as she continued, "So what if we lack the same amount of experience as you! We worked just as hard!" The Exo then walked up to the Warlock, literately smashing her head into Ianos', much to Angel's surprise, their helmets touching as she added, "So stop brushing us to the side like we're nothing and have faith that we can accomplish this mission as a team!" Pressing her helmet even more onto Ianos', Carina finished, "We're not dead weight."

Silence once more filled the air around the three Guardians, Angel idling standing by as he glanced between the Titan and the Warlock, their helmets still pressed together in confrontation. Finally, much to Angel's relief, a sigh escaped from the Warlock, causing the smaller Titan to take a step back, the gaze behind her helmet fixated on the Awoken.

"What's your plan, Angel?"

Feeling the Warlock's attention now on him, Angel fumbled, his eyes wide with surprise as the Awoken Guardian tilted his head slightly, waiting for a response.

"I-I just stay at the bottom of the hill," The Human finally stuttered, "and, if you two do not mind, somehow get the three Captains' attention so that I have clear view of them, preferably their head. And, maybe the Archon…if-if we're lucky."

Feeling the judging eyes of Ianos, Angel diverted his eyes to the ground, "I, er, I know it's not much but-"

"We'll give it a try."

Snapping his gaze back towards the Awoken Warlock, Angel's green eyes blinked once behind his helmet as Ianos raised his hand, letting his Ghost materialize in his palm, "Ace, in case things go awry, standby for resurrection."

"Wait. What?" The Ghost blinked, "Resurrection? But that's -"

"Just. In. Case."

Watching the Ghost pause, Angel remained silent as Ace twirled their back fins once before shifting up and down in a motion of a nod, "Alright, I will be on standby." Seeing the black and orange Ghost turned their orange optic towards him and Carina, Angel couldn't help but blink when Ace gave the two a nod before materializing back into the safety of Ianos' armor.

"Tell your Ghosts to do the same," Ianos warned as he flexed the hand that just held his Ghost, "you'll never know when things may go wrong."

"Personal experience?" Carina asked.

"Personal Experience." Angel couldn't help but let out a sheepish smile before he sensed Ianos' gaze then shifted towards him. Pausing, the human Hunter waited, watching Ianos stay silent until another sigh escaped his lips, "Keep us safe Angel."

Nodding his head once, Angel readied his sniper in his hands, silently watching Ianos and Carina slowly make their way up the hill. Peeking through the scope, Angel immediately spotted the familiar head of a Captain peeking over the hill, most likely leaning over to take a shot at his team. Almost instantly, panic set into his chest and before he could realize what he had done, the Hunter felt his fingers pull the trigger. Silently screaming at himself for pulling an amateur move, the panic inside the human's chest immediately halted when the bullet shattered the solar shield, causing the Fallen Captain to stumble back. Almost immediately, a shot rang through the air and Angel blinked as the Captain's head shattered, the familiar white mist sprouting out from the remains of its head before the body fell forward and slid down the hill, just stopping dead middle. Glancing over at the Warlock, Angel barely caught Ianos lowering his pulse rifle, and tapping his helmet once.

"Wasn't expecting you to break the shield on the first shot. Nice job." Hearing the Awoken Guardian giving him praise through the coms through his helmet, Angel felt his face heat up before aiming his gun once more, his scope aiming carefully at the top of the hill. He fired another shot as the second Captain's head popped out in view and once again, the solar shield shattered, the clear energy bursting and causing the Fallen Captain to stumble. Another shot was then fired but almost immediately, a roar of pain followed. Feeling his body jump, Angel's eyes went wide as he focused through his scope, his view on the Reaver Captain as it had one of its four hands on its shoulder, the familiar violet liquid seeping through his fingers. Then almost immediately, its helm exploded, releasing precious Ether into the air before falling backwards out of view. Blinking several times, Angel then tapped his coms once, tuning in on his two Fireteam members chat.

"You missed." It was Ianos' voice.

"The first time." Carina piped in, a low growl could be heard behind her words, "I killed it on my second try, didn't I?"

"Accuracy is everything."

"I know! Will you shut up you pompous b-"

Angel tapped his helmet once more, temporarily cutting his line as he blinked. Almost immediately, a laugh nearly escaped his breath but he then bit his lip. He may have turned off his side of the coms, but that doesn't mean that his Fireteam members can turn theirs on and tune in on him. Taking in a deep breath, Angel leaned in and peeked through his scope, halting his breath when he saw his Fireteam members nearly at the top.

' _Can't fail this now',_ he thought to himself as he tighten his fingers on his weapon, taking deeps breaths as he waited.

"Angel, somethin' isn't right."

Snapping out of his revere, the human Hunter blurted, "Hope, is this really the time?"

"No, I'm serious Angel, look up at the radar."

Heaving out a sigh, the Human Hunter scanned the screen within his helmet, only for him to pause, "Wait, we killed two of them, right?"

"That's what I counted."

"Then shouldn't there only two red marks, not three?"

Small beeps and clicks could be heard within Angel's helmet, "That's what I want to ask you." More clicks followed, "Are you certain that there are just one Archon and three Reaver Captains with it? Usually there's a Servitor nearby whenever an Archon is around. I mean..." The Ghost paused within her Guardian's helmet, hesitating, "What if the Archon isn't just gatherin' an army? What if he's gatherin' an army – "

"To strengthen them, give them more ether." The realization dawning upon the Guardian, Angel tapped his helmet once more, two clicks signifying that he had connected to his team.

"Let's jump into the Crucible then! I'll show you who's a 'rookie'!"

"I don't do Crucible Matches."

"You're a coward then!"

Blinking behind his helmet, Angel jumped in, "Uh, guys?"

Ianos sighed, "Yes Angel, what's the matter?"

"There might be a Servitor nearby."

There was a pause.

"A Servitor?" Carina piped in, "What do you mean?"

"Just think about it," Angel started, "Archons are like priests to the Fallen thanks to their affiliation with their Prime Servitor. In turn, they are the ones interacting with the rest of the Servitors to help distribute Ether to the rest of their kind. So if an Archon is nearby…"

"So is a Servitor," Ianos muttered, "that would explain why this Archon is gathering more of its kind. Give them Ether to make them strong enough to crash through the walls and overtake the City." Angel heard Ianos heave out another sigh, "Even it's not a Prime, a Servitor still can distribute enough ether to cause damage. How troublesome. Angel, watch our backs. Carina, with me. We're charging up this hill."

"Woo! Now we're talking!"

Letting a nervous smile form on his olive features, Angel quickly reloaded his rifle before peeking through his scope once more, his fingers uneasily wrapping around the trigger. The Hunter quickly fired a shot once a head appeared over the hill, the solar shields quickly shattering upon the bullets impact. Almost immediately, bullets impaled through the Captain's armor, the body shaking from the impact before the fires cease, causing the Fallen's body to slowly fall backwards and out of Angel's view.

"Now it's only the only Servitor and the Archon." Angel muttered.

A giggle emanated through the human's helmet, "I bet it must be pissed off as hell."

Letting a chuckle escape his lips, Angel shook his head at his Ghost's comment before focusing back onto Ianos and Carina as they continued to charge up the hill and it was then he noticed the familiar elongated helm of the Archon finally peaking over the top. Taking in a sharp breath, Angel fired, the sound of the shot resonating through the air as the Hunter tensed. As he had hoped, the shot connected, the Archon releasing a surprised cry as the bullet connected with his solar shields. However, Angel felt his heart stop when the shields stayed, his shot only causing a ripple on the Archon's protection. Taking a few seconds to realize that he was still unscathed, the Archon released a cry of rage as he aimed its Shrapnel Launcher down at the hill, towards the Warlock and Titan Guardians.

"No!" Angel screamed as he aimed once more, firing another shot into the Archon's shields, the bullet once again causing a ripple to fluctuate against the fiery surface. Panic now setting in as the shields still stayed, the Hunter attempted to fire once more, only to hear a small 'click' in placement of the usually loud shot. Swearing under his breath, Angel lowered his weapon as he frantically attempted to reload his gun, cursing at himself for not keeping an eye on the screen of his helmet. His eyes glancing over the blinking red zero on the screen as his fingers fumbled to reload, Angel watched as Carina lifted up her auto rifle and fired, the rounds penetrating the Archon's shields in an attempt to finish the Hunter's job. Ianos must have realized the situation, for Angel saw the Awoken Warlock also raise his pulse rifle and fire as well.

Ignoring the pellets hitting his shields, the Archon fired his weapon, fiery rounds launching from the barrel and downhill towards the Guardians. Almost immediately, Carina came to a sudden halt, the familiar sound of arc shields shattering as some of the shrapnel made contact. Hearing Carina take in a gasp of shock through his coms, Angel finally pulled the lever on his weapon, completing his reload and then aimed his weapon at the Archon.

"Say goodbye to your shields, bastard!" Angel roared as he fired, the bullet finally penetrating the Archon's shields and shattering the solar energy in shards before dissipating.

Letting a smirk form on his olive features, the human Hunter's smile quickly dissipated when the Archon turned his attention towards him. Hearing the Archon let out a cry of rage, Angel couldn't help but freeze, his green hues wide as the giant Eliksni turned his scorch cannon his way. Taking in a deep breath, Angel attempted to lift his sniper and blindly aimed, hearing the familiar fire of his sniper going off. Sadly, his aim was completely off as the round instead kicked up dirt near the Archon's feet, just enough to startle it but doing nothing to do it harm. Even from this distance, Angel can hear the Archon let out a snarl. It was then the Hunter saw Ianos make his way to the top of the hill.

"Pay attention to what's in front of you," He heard Ianos hiss out through the coms before he watched the male Guardian raise back his hand, the familiar mist of void light forming in his palm before he thrusted it forward. Veins of voice magic then spread throughout the large Fallen, Angel watching the latter stumble as he lost his grip on his weapon, the cannon falling to the ground with a dull 'thunk'.

"I got you now," Watching the Awoken Warlock aim his weapon at the Archon's head, Angel couldn't help but let a silent cheer, waiting for the moment where the larger Eliksni's head would split apart and release its ether into the air. That was before the human Hunter spotted a glint of violet glimmer underneath the light.

His heart stopping, Angel parted his lips to warn the male Guardian, only to see the Servitor to part its eye and the familiar burst of violet energy streaked towards Ianos. Immediately, the sound of the Awoken's arc shields echoed through the air followed by his screams, Angel reaching up with his hands and placing them over where his ears would be in a vain attempt to silence the Veteran Guardian's cries. Flinching, the human Hunter glanced up in time to see the Archon scoop up its weapon and smashed the blunt end of it into Ianos' helmet, shattering his visor before kicking the Warlock in the chest, sending the Guardian tumbling down the hill.

His jaw hanging open at the sight, Angel couldn't help but freeze once more as Ianos came to a slow halt mid-way of the hill, unable to move to check in on the injured Awoken. Hearing a war cry then echo through the air, the human Hunter snapped his attention towards Carina, only for his eyes to widen as the female Titan rushed towards the Archon, firing her auto-rifle at the large Fallen. Seeing her bullets pelt against the Archon's armor, Angel couldn't help but let rage over take him, raising his sniper and without even bothering to aim, fired. A cry from the Archon then rang through the air, the human Hunter watching with morbid satisfaction as it raised its arm towards its shoulder, vermillion blood seeping through its fingers.

"Don't you forget that I'm still here," Angel growled as he aimed his weapon once more, this time however, aiming his sniper rifle at the Servitor, having recognized the signs of its moving parts that it was charging up another attack, "and don't you think I forgot about you."

Pulling the trigger, Angel watched in satisfaction as the Servitor's shell cracked, the large unit releasing groans with its brightening eye fading as the result from the shot. Not waiting another second, Angel released another shot, the Hunter letting out a smile as the bullet penetrated the Servitor's central eye, causing the machine to fall apart completely. Hearing the Archon roar in rage, Angel shifted his scope in time to witness the larger Fallen aim its weapon at the Titan who had quickly closed the distance between the two. However, if the Archon had been paying attention instead of tending to its wound, the Fallen would have noticed the familiar two-barrel weapon now in her hands. Watching Carina aim her weapon at the chest of the Archon, Angel couldn't help but flinch as the sound of the fired shotgun echoed through the air, followed by the cry of pain from the giant Fallen, the latter of which had staggered back from the impact.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Hearing Carina cry out, Angel once again shifted his scope only to take in a deep breath as the Archon placed one of is free hands on its chest, its heavy breathing signifying that the weapon had indeed hurt, but it was still standing. This was further proven when it lifted his head and let out a roar of rage, prompting the female Exo to shout back, "Why don't you die already!?"

Watching Carina fire her weapon at the Archon followed by hearing her curse through the coms, Angel aimed his weapon and fired, only to hear the familiar 'click' of an empty clip. Cursing under his breath, Angel ripped the empty magazine from his sniper before reaching over to his side for another clip, only for his fingers to grab air. His heart dropped, "Don't tell me…"

"We're out!" Hope cried in his helmet, causing Angel to let out a line of curses as he dashed up the hill, taking out his hand cannon and firing it towards the Archon, the bullets bouncing off the Archon's armor.

"I'm out!" He heard Carina shout, watching the female Titan toss her weapon and opted for her auto rifle, hearing her repeatedly curse as the bullets pelted the giant Fallen's armor to no avail. Gritting his teeth, Angel let out a war cry as he removed his blade from its sheathe and lunged towards the Archon. No sooner had he done this when he watched the larger Fallen twirl around with his cannon and immediately, the young Guardian felt an impact slam into his chest, causing him to let out a wheeze before he found himself flying through the air. Sliding across the earth moments later, Angel let out a few coughs, taking in deep breaths in an attempt to take in air before pushing himself into a sitting position. However, not long after this, he once again felt an impact into his chest, this one sending him tumbling through the dry earth once more. Hearing a groan once he came to a pause, Angel's vision cleared just enough to recognize the familiar copper clad form of Carina, the female Titan untangling herself from the human Hunter before collapsing nearby.

Dazed and confused, Angel once again propped himself up, only to hear the familiar rumble of Fallen laughter echo through the air, causing the young Guardian to snap his gaze upwards. It was then, he felt his heart stop as the familiar form of the Fallen Priest came into view, his scorch cannon aimed at the two young Guardians.

Xxxx

"...os!?"

"Ian…s!?"

"Ianos!"

The edges of his vision hazy, Ianos blinked once, narrowing his eyes as the cracked screen of his visor filled half his vision while the other half stared into the clear sky. Almost immediately, Ace popped into view, their black and orange parts scrunched in around their orange optics to show concern, "Thank the Traveler you're alive. When I couldn't revive you I thought-"

"The others" Ianos mumbled, "What about-"

That's when he felt it. The crawling sensation up his chest and throat before pain overtook his senses, causing the Warlock to take in a sharp breath as his hand reached up and clenched his chest, as if in an attempt to ease the pain.

"Oh no," Ace glided in closer, their light spreading out and forming into a beam, spreading the scanner on the Guardian, "Your equipment, it's been damaged. The Darkness its – "

"The-The others…" Ianos rasped as he turned onto his side, pushing himself onto his knees as he continued, "The… others, where…are… the others?"

"They're up on that hill over there," Ace turned their body as if to point, "but it's not good, the Archon, it's-"

"Good enough," Ianos wheezed as he pushed himself onto his feet, turning his gaze up towards the hill, only for him to halt in movement, his luminescent eyes growing wide as he sighted the Archon towering over the Hunter and Titan.

"Ianos?" Hearing his Ghost tentatively call him, Ianos instead ignored their cries and opted to dash up the hill, hearing the latter let out a yelp in response, "Ianos! Stop! Your gear!"

Ignoring his Ghost once more, Ianos instead reached down to his to waist and removed his sidearm from its holster, and without even bothering to aim, starting firing up the hill, watching his shots bounce off of the Archon's new shields. Although unharmed, this was enough for Ianos to gain the larger Fallen's attention, the Warlock watching the latter turn, let out a snarl, and aiming its scorch cannon towards him. Before he can react, the familiar sound of the cannon firing through the air reached his ears and then the sound of his shields shattering rang through the air. The absence of his shields caused Ianos to let out a gasp, nearly stumbling over his feet as his body protested, his joints screaming and his chest heaving in an attempt to gain air. Gritting his teeth together in an attempt to assuage the pain, Ianos instead felt something sharp penetrate his shoulder, causing him to let out a scream.

"Ianos!" Buckling onto his knees, Ianos then heard the familiar grinding parts of his Ghost hover near above his shoulder, the frantic tone in their voice obvious as they continued, "Get up! It is going to fire again! Hurry! It's going to –"

Letting Ace's words fade into the background, Ianos instead opted to raise one of his hands and focused his light into his palm, and then curling his fingers around the particles of void light once he felt the grenade form. Then without another word, the Warlock tossed the void grenade at the Archon, the object immediately exploding into a display of violet light as it landed at the larger Fallen's feet. Immediately, the Archon was engulfed in violet light, the vortex of the void latching itself onto the Fallen as the latter released screams of agony. Dazed from the small amount of light he had just used, Ianos absent – mindedly watched the void light greedily eat away at the Fallen's armor, revealing the vulnerable flesh underneath before latching itself onto its skin, easily breaking down the flesh, and further causing the Archon agony. Watching the Fallen squirm in the small vortex of light, the Warlock then brought his hands close together and focused his light into his palms, recognizing the violet streaks of light gather in his grasp.

"Ianos, what are you doing?" The Warlock didn't have to glance over at Ace to hear the frantic tone in their voice, "Ianos, you better not be – Ianos!"

The Awoken Guardian had jumped up and started running mid-sentence, once again ignoring the protests of his Ghost as he leaped up, bringing his hand back and tossing the gathered void light straight at the Archon. The orb of light flew through the air, leaving streaks of violet behind before slamming into the larger Eliksni's chest, exploding into a vortex just like its smaller counterpart. However, unlike the grenade, the elite skill, Nova Bomb, was more merciful, immediately breaking down the Archon's basic matter and causing the latter to disperse into streaks of violet, leaving no physical evidence behind, even the scorch cannon. The only sign of its existence, were the two now bewildered younger Guardians pushing themselves onto their feet and tentatively touching the air, as if the Archon was still there, just intangible to the eye.

Seeing the younger Guardians standing, bruised up and beaten but unharmed, Ianos couldn't help but let a sense of relief flood his senses, collapsing onto his knees as he heard Ace glide up from behind. Recognizing his Ghost's voice, Ianos slowly tuned out Ace, the black and orange Ghost's words deaf to his ears as he watched Angel and Carina finally turn their gaze towards him. It was only then, seeing the two younger Guardians safe, that he let the pain finally overtake him, letting out a scream as he fell to his side, the frantic call of his Ghost now clear in his ears.

"Ianos!"

Feeling the warmth of Ace's light slowly spreading throughout his body, Ianos only writhed in agony as the small amount of relief was quickly replaced with pain, feeling the sensation within his chest spread as he continued to scream.

Xxxxx

Carina didn't know what to say as both she and Angel had turned to thank the Veteran Guardian for saving their lives when he suddenly collapsed onto his side, screaming. Caught off guard and in shock the female Titan can do nothing but gawk as she watched Angel slide down the hill towards the incapacitated Warlock, watching the Hunter press one hand on the writhing Guardian's shoulder.

"Carina! I need help!"

Snapping out of her revere, Carina let out a nod as she ran down the hill as well, sliding down onto her knees as she closed the distance. The first thing she noticed was Ianos' damaged visor, the once darken glass now shattered and exposing one side of the Warlock's face. Although curious, she quickly ignored his looks as she instead leaned down and pressed a hand onto the Warlock's shoulder. Instead of calming him down as she had expected, Ianos instead only seemed to cry out, startling the young Guardian to the point where she reeled back, quickly snatching back her hand.

"Call your ship!" The female Titan snapped her gaze towards the familiar black and orange form of Ace, the Ghost's light repeatedly scanning the Warlock's body, "Call your ship so we can get his gear fixed!"

At first, puzzled by the Ghost's words, it was only when Carina glance back at the incapacitated Warlock that she understood. The tubes that she saw intertwined with his helmet had been broken loose, the sides where they're normally place near the mouthpiece having been broken by the impact from the Archon's weapon.

"Can you not fix it here?" It was Angel who asked the question, "I mean, Ghosts are able to repair equipment, correct?"

That's when Carina sensed the blank look that Ace gave the human Hunter, "That is 'if' we have the materials and blueprints we need to do so and right now, I do 'not' have the proper material 'and' blueprint to repair his gear!"

"Why not?"

"Just stop asking questions and call your ship please!"

Hearing the desperation in the black and orange's Ghost's voice, Carina couldn't help but give the small AI a bewildered stare. She maybe young but the small amount of patrols she had gone through was experience enough for the female Titan to know that gear gets damaged all the time. Carina remembers the days when she would bump into Fallen and would regularly have to polish her armor with the aid of her Ghost. What was so important about this damaged gear on Ianos that it caused Ace to panic?

"If you two aren't going to call your ships! Fine! I'll call Ianos' over!"

Carina couldn't help but give the Ghost a blank stare, "Couldn't you have just done that earlier?"

The female Titan then watched with mild amusement as Ace spun their back fins in a huff, but the Ghost gave no response; a sign that she was correct in her statement.

"Why are you in a panic, Ace?" Angel once again asked a question, "I understand your Guardian is in agony but why –"

"Because if we do not repair his gear, he is going to die!"

That is when the world paused between the two younger Guardians, their gaze turning wide as the Ghost's statement finally settled into their mind.

"What?" Carina couldn't help but voice her shock, "But why-"

"Our ship will be here momentarily," The female Titan couldn't help but narrow her optics at the Ghost, "get him up for transmat." The Ghost then paused, hesitating, "Please."

At first annoyed by the forceful tone Ace had been using, when Carina heard them say please, she had to pause. She had heard of relationships between Ghosts and Guardians, especially when they have been around for 'years'. Hardly a year old, Carina knows she only has a hint of understanding of the relationship between the pair and as such, hearing the sincerity in the Ghost's words, she couldn't help but let her rage be assuaged, heaving out a sigh as slowly nodded. Despite her annoyance with the Awoken, she will help.

Waiting until Angel leaned over and lift Ianos into a sitting position, Carina then took one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulders, once again waiting for the human Hunter to do the same before heaving herself and the incapacitated Guardian onto their feet.

"Is… everyone alright?"

Immediately, Carina jumped, not from hearing the Awoken speak suddenly but mainly the way he spoke. From the moment they had met, he spoke with a condescending tone and seemed apathetic to their emotions, much to the female Titan's chagrin. But currently, she can hear sincere concern laced in his words, causing Carina to pause as she hesitated to answer.

"Uh," She started, "If you do not include yourself, then, yes?"

No sooner had she responded when a chuckle then emanated from the Warlock, further startling the female Titan as he stated, "You always take everything literately, Lynn. No need to be so serious."

"Wait, what?" Carina blinked several times at the Awoken Warlock, hearing him let out a groan as he attempted to stand on his own feet only for them to slip out underneath him, nearly taking both Carina and Angel to the ground.

"Did you just call Carina, 'Lynn', Ianos?" It was Angel who asked the question, the latter letting out a grunt as he hefted Ianos in his grasp in an attempt to gain a better grip.

"That's her name, Kaye."

"I…what?"

"I will explain later," Both Titan and Hunter snapped their gaze towards the black and orange shell of Ace, the latter of which spun their back fins several times in agitation, "Let's just keep him stable, alright? Or at least make sure he stays awake long enough to reach the Tower?"

Hearing this, Carina couldn't help but give a doubtful look at the Ghost, questions flashing in her mind as the black and orange Ghost glided over to Ianos, sending in more of their light into their Guardian. At first, tempted to question the small AI, the female Titan shrugged it off when Ianos' breathing turned ragged, feeling him tremble as she kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders, watching Ace whisper words of comfort, as if to help ease the pain the Veteran Guardian was in.

"Can't we just shoot him in the head and you can resurrect him?" Carina blurted out, watching Ace's parts go rigid in response, "It would be easier instead of watching him be in pain, correct?"

That was when the female Titan watched Ace turn their orange optic towards the female Guardian, the blank look in their gaze was all Carina need to know that she had said something wrong. At first puzzled at the Ghost's reaction, the female Titan opened her mouth to as why when a gust of wind interrupted her, startling the female Exo as the sand spiraled around them.

"I wish it was simple as that."

That was the last thing Carina heard before the familiar weightlessness of transmat overtook her senses.


	5. Pluto-99

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Pluto-99_**

 _Anyway, another heads up, this chapter will mainly focus on other characters besides Ianos (as you will see later on why) and will focus more on their personality and/or backstory as time goes along._

 _Enjoy :D_

 _ **Edited: 5/20/2017**_

 _Took a while but finally fixed this chapter as I was not please with the ending results on the old version.  
_

* * *

Hearing the incapacitated Warlock wheeze and gasp as he writhed on his cot, Angel finally understood why Carina had asked to take over the controls of the ship instead of keeping an eye on the Awoken. Though they had hardly known him for a few days, watching a fellow Guardian writhe in agony is painful to watch.

Shifting nervously on his knees, Angel glanced around, taking in the single space with nothing more but the controls located in the front and the cot located in the back of the ship, leaving enough walking space between the two. Although plain in his sight, the Hunter just thanked the Traveler that Ianos' ship held enough room to house the three of them. Turning his gaze back towards the black and orange Ghost scanning the Warlock's helmet in an attempt to repair it, Angel then turned his green hues towards the opening on the fellow Guardian's exposed helmet, taking in the sight.

The familiar pale azure skin patterned with shifting white mist holds Ianos' statement as an Awoken true. Alongside the glowing orange eyes that flickered behind his lids as the Warlock took in rapid breaths, Angel also spied dark azure strands move around Ianos' eyes as he tossed and turn, the dark blue strands seemingly glowing beneath the dim lights of the ship.

"Damn."

Snapped out of his thoughts, Angel glanced over at Ace, watching the Ghost turn and narrow their orange optic at the female Titan, "Can't you drive this ship any faster? He's getting worse as we speak."

"Shut it, I'm driving as fast as I can," Seeing Carina glance over her shoulder, Angel can easily sense the glare behind her visor, "I am not use to the controls of his ship. It's all outdated and ancient. What is he driving? A rust bucket?"

"We had this ship right when the Tower was built," Ace retorted, "With limited parts and supplies, we didn't have much of a choice but to stick with this one." The Ghost scoffed as they returned to repairing Ianos' gear, "We were lucky that Ms. Holiday is generous enough to give us upgrades when we needed them."

"Can't you just buy a new ship from her?" The Exo asked as she shifted the controls, causing the ship to tilt a tad to the right, shifting course, "She has plenty in storage."

"When we have a perfectly working ship? Not needed" Ace's parts twirled as they continued to work, "That's what Ianos says anyways."

This earned a snicker from the Titan, "What? He likes to keep every glimmer?"

"Ianos likes to save as much as he can for equipment," Ace answered, "He says 'decorative' items are not needed, in which he believes jumpships are part of that category."

"But this outdated?" Carina grunted as she finally forced the controls to the left, causing the ship to take a sharp turn, nearly tossing Angel off his seat and causing Ace to let out a cry as the Warlock slowly slid out of his cot.

"Careful!" Ace yelled as the ship finally steadied itself, Angel quickly regaining his footing and pulled Ianos back onto his bed, "Don't force it like that! You'll-"

Almost instantly, a 'snap' echoed through the hull, causing everyone to go silent as Carina lifted up her hand, a piece of the stick visible in her grasp as sparks came from the exposed wires.

"…Oops?" Was all the Exo could utter before the ship started to descend.

Xxxxx

"Ikora? Lady Ikora?"

Glancing up from the reports placed in front of her, the female Warlock turned to her Ghost, the familiar white form bobbing in front of her as she spoke, "Yes? Is there something you need?"

"Incoming Transmission," The Ghost announced, causing Ikora's brows to furrow as she asked, "From who?"

"Uh," The Ghost hesitated, her parts scrunched together around her singular optic, "Just… take a listen."

With that, the Ghost spread her parts apart and almost immediately, frantic screaming over took the room, causing all the Vanguard and everyone present to glance over.

"We're going down! We're going down!"

"Angel?" Cayde lifted himself up from his crouching position over the table.

"I told you to be careful!"

"How can I be careful if this hunk of a junk can't even take a turn!?"

"Is that…Carina?" Zavala asked, earning a bewildered look from his fellow companions.

"Angel to the Tower! We're going down!" The Hunter's frantic voice echoed through the room once more, "Carina had been too rough with the controls-"

"It's ancient!"

"Cannot control the descent! I have taken over and heading to the Hangar! Prepare for a rough landing! I repeat! Prepare for a rough landing!"

With the Hunter's message sent, Ikora's Ghost then shifted her parts back together, causing silence to fill the room.

"Well," Cayde coughed, "Already having fun on their first mission together."

"This is no time for jokes," Zavala frowned, "Warn everyone to evacuate the Hangar and get medics ready to be on standby."

"Don't worry, Angel is a great pilot."

It was then Ikora glanced over, her golden eyes blank as she stated, "Great pilot or not, a ship descending at break neck speeds is still a dangerous matter."

"…Right." The Exo Hunter coughed once more, "So, shall we get ready to greet them then?"

Xxxxx

"I can't believe you managed to break the landing gear too!" Angel yelled as he messed with the controls, the ship wildly moving side by side in response, "and of all the time to break! It has to be near the Tower!"

"This ship is a rust bucket!" Carina retorted as she held onto the bars connected on the walls of the vessel, "not my fault it breaks like a twig!" She stumbled as the ship rumbled, "and who the hell places a landing stick next to the power stick!?"

"Says the Exo who doesn't even know her own strength!" Sighting the familiar Plaza filled with the bustling forms of Soldiers of the Light, panic settled in the human Hunter's chest. Twisting the controls to the right, Angel felt the ship take a sharp turn but not before he felt the floor beneath him rumble, flinching when the familiar sound of scraping metal echoed through the air.

"Great pilot my ass!"

"Shut up!" Angel gritted his teeth, his green eyes scanning the edge of the Tower before he sighted the familiar gates of the Hangar, "Hang on!"

With that, he pulled up on the controls, causing the ship to tilt upwards and almost immediately, the sound of grinding metal once again rang through the air followed by groaning of the ships cockpit. Then suddenly, Angel felt himself lurch forward when he felt the ship come to a suddenly halt, feeling himself being thrown out of the seat and pain crawling up his head, arms and chest. The edges of his vision blurring, the human Hunter let out a groan as he pressed his hands against the floor, pushing himself into a seated position as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"We're alive!"

Turning his gaze towards the Exo Titan, Angel watched as Carina lifted herself onto her feet, Ace floating up from the floor as they shook themselves side to side, "I take back what I have said before, you're an amazing pilot!"

Shaking his head to clear his vision, Angel stated, "Just, ugh, for an apology, just, help me with Ianos, alright?"

"Oh, right."

Watching the Exo tend to the Warlock, who had somehow amazingly stayed on the cot, Angel heaved out another groan as he kept his grip on the chair to steady himself, rubbing his helmet in a vain attempt to relieve the throbbing in his head.

"Get ready for transmat," Ace stated as he watched Carina nervously wrapped the wheezing Warlock around her neck, lifting him on her back as she turned her gaze at the Ghost, both of whom disappeared moments later.

Having watched the two leave, Angel heaved out another sigh before lifting up his hand, the familiar form of his Ghost appearing in his palm, "Hope."

"On it."

Feeling the familiar sensation of floating, Angel waited when his vision went white, prepping himself until he felt nothing but air beneath his feet, and color coming into his field of vision once more. Squaring out his feet to land, the Hunter waited until the dull throbbing in his head faded and then pushed himself up from his kneeling position, just in time to see Carina lean Ianos on a wall, the Warlock taking in a shaky breath as she did so.

"He doesn't look so good," The Exo stated as Angel approached her, Ianos' Ghost floating nearby the gasping Warlock, "What's wrong with him anyway?"

"That's-That's none of your concern!" Ace's parts shifted close together around their optic, "all I can say is that he can't survive without his armor."

"You told us that already!" Carina removed her helmet, revealing her violet optics narrowing in frustration, "What we don't know is 'why' he has that armor on. Did he gain a serious injury back then? And if yes, why can't you just heal him?"

"It's more complicated than that!" Ace retorted, their orange optic flaring as they added, "If I had wanted to heal him, I would have done so long ago! But I can't tell you because what he has, he's already being scorned for it already!"

"I…what?" The Exo stated, reeling back at the Ghost's words, "What do you-"

"See, told you guys that Angel is a great pilot."

Turning around to snap their gaze back behind them, the Guardian pair blinked as the familiar hooded figure of the Exo Hunter came into view with Ikora and Zavala not too far behind, a group of three humans clad in white following behind them; medics Angel guessed.

"Is everyone alright?" Angel watched as Zavala paused, his glowing silver eyes blinking; the human Hunter can take a guess that he spotted the shivering form of Ianos.

Seeing the Warlock Vanguard heave out a sigh in response to this, Angel watched as Ikora waved for the medics to move. However, to the human Hunter's surprise, he saw hesitation clear in their eyes as they took tentative steps forward but stopping just short of the incapacitated Guardian. Letting Ace's words ring in the back of his mind, Angel watched as Ikora heaved out another sigh and then narrowing her bronze hues at the trio; this was convincing enough for the three to approach the Awoken Warlock.

"Oh no," Blinking as Ace's form zipped in between Ianos and the three medics, Angel couldn't help but reel back when the former stated, "I am not letting these 'three' treat Ianos."

"He is in obvious pain," The Human Hunter easily heard the bewilderment in the Warlock Vanguard's voice, "You are willing to let your Guardian suffer because you do not trust the medics in front of you?"

"If Ianos was able and in not obvious pain to speak, then he'll say he would rather have Matt than these 'medics' here." Angel watched as Ace nodded their core towards the three medics, watching the latter frown in response, "And I do not want him moved without a 'Vanguard' present."

"Ace –" Hearing Ikora pause suddenly, the human Hunter turned his attention back to the three Vanguard, just in time to see Cayde hold up a hand and turn his pale azure optics towards the female Warlock, "I'll escort him, I'll take over from here."

A frown of disapproval can easily be seen flash over Ikora's dark features, "Cayde-"

"I have to visit an old friend of mine at the infirmary," Angel watched as the Exo Hunter shrugged, "wouldn't hurt to drop Ianos off and then pay him a visit."

At first, seeing Ikora give Cayde a puzzled look, Angel couldn't help but let curiosity grow in the back of his mind when the female Vanguard's eyes soften into one of understanding, "I see." He then watched her turn her attention towards the Titan Commander, "Zavala. Let us help Hunter Angel and Titan Carina to the Hall. We need to know what occurred to understand Warlock Ianos' current state."

"If of course, they're able," Seeing the Awoken Titan turn his glowing silver eyes towards himself and Carina, Angel couldn't help but let heat rise up to his cheeks before nodding once, a confirmation for Cayde to clap his hands together once as he announced, "Alright, so it's settled." Angel then watched as the Exo Hunter pointed at one of the three medics, "You, help me get this fella onto his feet, will you?"

Watching the medic point at himself as if to confirm the Exo Hunter's words, Angel easily heard a sigh escape said medic when Cayde nodded once. Feeling a hand clamp down onto his shoulder, Angel tore his attention away from the Exo and the incapacitated Warlock, gazing into Carina's visor. Easily sensing a sheepish smile behind her helmet, Angel watched as the Exo Titan nodded her head towards the Ikora and Zavala; a sign for him to follow. Hesitating, Angel glanced back in time to see Cayde and the Medic heft Ianos onto his feet, hearing the Warlock let out a cough in response before the human Hunter forced himself to stand and followed his comrade out of the Hangar.

Xxxx

It was strange entering the section of the Tower where many Guardians dread to go, mainly for the reason that if it is something that their Ghosts can't heal, then it's something definitely serious. In other words, their Ghosts have perished in battle or the darkness had affected them in some way.

Although he himself hadn't checked into this wing of the Tower, Cayde had known plenty of other Guardians who had been checked in for different kind of afflictions; a wound given to them by a Hive Knight, a damaged Ghost unable to heal their Guardian, or their light corrupted by the Darkness itself. To those who live outside of the Tower, they would believe that not many Soldiers of Light would be found living in this area of the large complex; they are beings selected by the Traveler, a deity equivalent to a god, what out there can seriously injure a Soldier of the Traveler?

To a civilian, there would be nothing, the beings of Light seemingly immortal in their eyes. However, to the Guardians themselves, the answer is simple: many things.

Cayde would constantly see steady streams of Guardians being brought in into the Medical wing of the Tower, only to never be seen again. The Exo Hunter had seen too many of his fellow brothers and sisters concede to their injuries brought upon them by the Darkness; they already had seen too much to willingly continue to fight.

Luckily, there are those who can still be saved, all thanks to a familiar white clad form currently standing in the middle of the Hall when the Exo Hunter entered.

"Hey! Matt!"

Cayde watched as the figure snapped his brown hues away from the papers he held in his hands, only to see them widen behind dark strands when he spotted the Exo Vanguard and the Warlock he barely helped kept standing, "Don't tell me…"

"Yeah, his equipment has been damaged again," Cayde stated as Matt rushed forward, dropping his files before taking the Exo Hunter's place in keeping the Warlock steady, "and pretty badly I must add."

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Cayde," The pale human frowned as he glanced at the Awoken Warlock up and down, "I'll take over from here." Nodding his head to confirm he had heard the human Medic's words, instead of immediately leaving, Cayde stood where he was, earning a puzzled look from Matt before the latter let out a silent 'ah' of understanding.

"If you're here for Neptune, he's the second to last door down the hall," Matt nodded his head in said direction before a sigh escaped his lips, causing Cayde to glance down the corridor with concern, "All I can say is this, get ready to say your goodbyes. He's not going to last much longer."

"Now don't say that," Cayde let out a nervous smile, his optics betraying the truth, "who knows, he might be able to pull through."

"With his Ghost absent and his parts badly damaged and his light fading, I highly doubt it," Matt hesitated, "Just…just head in there. He's been asking for you the past few days anyway."

Giving the human a nod of thanks, Cayde watched as he and the other medic entered another room with Ianos in tow before the Exo started his way down the hall. Glancing at the names pasted on the doors, the Exo Vanguard finally came to a slow halt as the familiar name, ' _Neptune-88'_ caught his attention. Standing in front of it for several moments, Cayde took in a breath before he slowly pressed a hand on the metal surface and opened the door.

Almost instantly, his sight was filled with wires hanging from the ceiling, contouring all over the room, and connecting to machines laid out on the walls. Tracing his optics to the center, Cayde instantly recognized the single occupant laying on the table as an Exo. Or, what is left of him. Of all the parts, only the head and torso were connected while as the left arm is only attached through wires. The other limbs were missing or unrecognizable, revealing the mechanics inside the Exo of his exposed parts, causing Cayde to flinch as some of the parts sparked, signifying it attempts to revive itself but quickly dying out. Carefully ducking and shifting around the wiring, Cayde made it to the single occupant, the lights from the machines and his optics the only thing illuminating the figure in front of him. Almost instantly, the Exo came to life, white lights illuminating the dark azure body as his hand shook, the optics flashing on to signify that the Exo was powered on.

"Hey, Neptune," The Hunter Vanguard greeted, his azure optics struggling to keep on his fellow Exo's face, ignoring the pieces of limbs and metal splayed out on the table; in other words, what they could retrieve of the Exo Warlock.

Moving his optics around, white lights connected with Cayde's and almost immediately a smile formed on the Exo's mouth piece. With his face fractured and dented, it was painful to watch the dark azure Exo open his mouth to speak, only for metal to scrape against each other as he spoke, "C-Cayde, it's been a while old friend."

Watching the dark azure Exo metals lips scrunch together, Cayde watched as Neptune's severed arm twitch, the body part only connected to the torso thanks to a few wires. Moments later, Neptune heaved out a sigh of defeat, "I-I-I would give you a handshake as a greeting but I guess that is not going to happen anytime soon."

This earned the broken Exo a chuckle from the Hunter, "Still trying to use that old human gesture every time you greet friends? You never change, Neptune."

The Exo just gave Cayde another smile, "S-So, what brings you here, Cayde?"

"Oh, you know, was dropping off a fellow Guardian here so I thought 'Why not?'" The Exo Hunter slowly returned the smile, "Might as well since I'm here."

"G-G-Good, good," Neptune then heaved out a content sigh as his optics dimmed, causing Cayde to worry to filter into his mind until the Exo's white lights flickered back to life, "I-I-I have a question, Cayde." His white optics traced back towards the Hunter, "D-D-Did anyone else survive?" When silence permeated the room, grief could be seen in the Exo's white optics, "A-a-anyone? Mercury? Jupiter? Saturn? Anyone?" The damaged Exo paused as he waited for an answer, "P-Pl-Please Cayde, I have been in here for years and the medics here would not tell me anything. P-please, I need to know what happened to my Fireteam."

The Exo Vanguard hesitated, his bright optics fixating onto the broken Exo, only to see the pleading in his white optics, "You want the whole story?"

Watching the Exo nod, Cayde continued, "Uranus and Jupiter were killed out in the field. Mercury made it along with you and Pluto but she died as soon as they tried to hook her up onto to machines in an attempt to keep you two alive. Saturn…" He hesitated, "She… 'retired' from Guardianship, if you understand."

"S-she got corrupted?" Neptune asked in which the Exo Hunter let out a slow nod, "L-let me guess, Pluto was the one who ended her?"

"Well, with the name 'The Executioner', who else do you think would have done it?" Cayde stated in which the Exo Warlock gave the Hunter a sheepish smile.

"S-so Pluto is the only one left then?"

"Yes."

"T-the-then can you send him a message for me?"

Cayde paused, his glowing optics staring at the broken Exo, "It's not going to be a last message, is it?"

When silence permeated the room, the Exo Hunter sighed, "I'll do it if it's not going to be a last message."

"F-Fine. I-I-It's not going to be a last message."

"…Why am I not convinced?"

"Y-you're not going to send my message otherwise."

"Alright fine, I'll do it," Cayde retorted, a ghost of a smile etching onto his metallic features. He missed their banters, "Just stay alive long enough for Pluto to send a reply, alright?"

Giving the Exo Hunter a single nod, Neptune turned his gaze towards the ceiling and let out a sigh of content as Cayde held out his hand, the familiar form of his Ghost materializing onto his palm, "Ready?"

Xxxx

"Come and get me you stinky scavengers!" A laugh escaped from the Ghost as he zoomed across the graveyard of vehicles and roads, a group of Fallen chasing after him in a rage.

"What? Can't catch a small thing like me?" He mocked, turning his flickering red optic back at the group, his scanner active from his cracked eye as he continued, "And here I thought the all mighty House of Winter are better than this!"

This in turn earned him another cry of rage, causing the Ghost to release another laugh as he turned and kept his scanner in front, narrowly dodging the rusting cars and debris.

"They're still on your tail?" A voice echoed through the Ghost's coms, in which the AI gave a reply, "Of course! They'll be ready for you in just a few seconds, hitting the dead end in-"The Ghost came to a sudden halt, his scanning eye glancing up at the rusted building in front of him, twirling around only to find himself with no escape route, "Now."

"Hold them steady."

His flickering optic blinking once, the Ghost turned and faced the Fallen scavengers, a group of three dregs and a single Vandal, all of which was slowly closed in on the small AI. Holding up their shock blades, a low rumble emitted from the Vandal, an Eliksni equivalent to a chuckle while the Dreg surrounding it held up their own daggers, their high pitched chanting showing their excitement for a rare catch.

"Hi there fellas!" The Ghost announced, his optic turning completely blank as the AI slowly glided backwards, trying to keep a distance between him and the enclosing Scavengers, "Didn't expect you guys to catch up to me, especially likes this!" The AI let out a shout as he glided up, narrowly dodging a swipe from one of the Dregs, "I enjoyed this game of tag but I think-" He glided just out of reach of another Dreg's grasp, "I think it is time to end this charade."

Almost immediately, three consecutive 'bangs' echoed through the air, followed by the heads of the Dregs exploding in a mass of metal and flesh, their precious ether letting out a 'hiss' before their bodies landed with a 'thud' on the marshy hearth. Shocked and angered, the Vandal twirled its head in the direction of the sound of the fired shots, only for its own head to explode in turn, more Fallen meat raining down onto the ground as its body followed suit.

Blinking once, the rusted Ghost shook his body, shaking off the remnants of Fallen blood and flesh from his parts before he turned his attention towards one of the rotting buildings, "Nice shot! Four out of four! Just like you, Pluto!"

Cloaked in black and gray, a figure climbed out of the window from the shadows, landing on his feet easily as he held the sniper rifle in his hands. Glancing up at his Ghost through his black visor of his helmet, the Hunter responded, "They're just Fallen. Easy prey." He then walked up to the corpses, kneeling down and placing his hand on the body of the Vandal, "H'm, except for a Shock Blade, nothing much."

"What about its ether tubes?" The Ghost glided over, his flickering red optics coming to life momentarily to scan the body, "that costs a nice handful of glimmer back at the Tower."

This earned the Ghost a scoff, "And return to that place of children? No, I'd rather stay here, on Venus, where there's plenty of prey to hunt."

Pushing himself up onto his feet, the black and grey clad Hunter nodded his head towards his ghost, "Come on, Nix, lets head back to camp."

"Oh! Resting for the night?" The Ghost exclaimed as he glided over the shoulder of his Guardian, "Why not another day? We're still up and about and full of energy."

"Normally I would, but my joints are starting to get clogged," Pluto responded, moving his shoulders which released small squeaks, proving the Hunter's point, "Time to get most of what's restricting my joints out before it gets me killed. Again."

"Oh, right," The Ghost hummed to himself, "then can you tune me up as well?" His parts twirled once, causing them to squeak, "I haven't had a tune up in a while myself."

Glancing over at his comrade, a ghost of a smile phase over the Hunter's metallic features, "Why not? Won't help your looks though."

This earned a huff from his Ghost, the latter of which was rusted and covered in moss, "Says you. You don't look good yourself."

He received another smile, "Then again, I think neither of us have a say, don't you think? Our eyes don't exactly work."

"Good point," The Ghost hummed, before he let out his scanner, scanning his partner as they walked. Instantly, Nix recognized the black and grey gear that his Guardian wore as the image slowly updated into his memory banks but, also grimaced at the tears and dirt that had rubbed itself into the protective material, slowly making its way into the Exo's mechanical parts and in turn, getting gunk and dirt into his joints and underneath his metallic shell, "I seriously think we still should head to the Tower and get a nice clean up someday."

This earned the Ghost another scoff, "We will later."

"You said that several years ago," Nix scrunched his parts together in a pout, "Seriously Pluto, if we don't get ourselves cleaned, our parts are going to get clogged. Just like you are now!"

"We can do it ourselves."

"…You just said we're both blind." The Ghost glided in front of his partner, "we can't get every nook and cranny."

Hearing his Guardian come to a slow pause, Nix came to a stop as well, his blind optic blinking once as they stood in silence before Pluto heaved out a sigh, "Fine, but we're only going back if we get a message from the Tower."

"Like that's going to happen," Nix muttered as he heard his partner move forward again, gliding after the Guardian as he stated, "When was the last time we got a message from the Tower?"

"Right when we left that place," Pluto responded as he crouched, his knees skidding across the marshy hearth before he sensed the opening in front of him, the smell of smoke and wood signaling to him that they made it to camp, "when Mercury died."

Nix came to a sudden halt, his blank optic staring into space, "You know Pluto, Exo anatomy is still unknown, no matter how much of Exo biology we find in Golden Age tech, right?"

This earned the rusted Ghost a sigh, "I know, I know, I…I feel like they didn't try hard enough to save her." Pluto reached up and pulled his hood down, revealing his charcoal helmet corroded from time and grime smeared onto its surface, "She was in agony when they brought her in and she died in agony as the darkness devoured her light." Another sigh escaped the Hunter's lips, "She didn't have to pass like that."

"They did everything they could, Pluto," Nix comforted as he glided over to his Guardian, "with little to no information on Exo anatomy, they couldn't risk going in and messing with her parts, especially when many of it was already missing." Shifting his parts around his blank optic, Nix added, "At least they were able to stabilize Neptune."

"But with his Ghost dead, Neptune will forever be a cripple," Pluto crawled over near his fire, his hands pressing down on the familiar cement block he uses as a seat, "unable to move or even disconnect from the machines keeping him alive, and even then, it's a temporary solution. Who knows how much longer he will survive."

"He'll pull through," Nix let out his scanner, scanning the ground in from of him until he reached his partner, lifting his optic so he can locate his Guardian's shoulder. Turning off his scanner, Nix then proceeded to glide over, "You know how Neptune is, he's well known in getting out of a scrap."

Pluto heaved out another sigh, "There used to be so many of us. We use to be a Clan, not a Fireteam." The Hunter latched his fingers together on his lap, his grip tightening as he added, "Now look at us, the infamous Clan Galaxy consisting of only Exos now dwindled down to two, and one of them of can't even move."

"And we can't just recruit anyone?" Nix asked, in which he gained a nod as response, "Yes, there are certain…requirements in joining." Pluto let out a scoff, "and there are many Exos who are resurrecting with memories of their original name." The Hunter leaned back on his seat, "Lucky bastards."

"Speaking of Exos," Nix let out a few clicks, "Cayde is calling us." This caused the rusted Ghost to earn a look from his Guardian.

"…You're joking," Pluto retorted, earning a chuckle from the Ghost.

"No, I am quite serious, I recognize the frequency anywhere, and it's Cayde."

Keeping his blank gaze on his Ghost, the Exo Hunter brought up his hand, the former gliding over to his palm and disconnected his joints.

"Hello? Pluto you there? This is Cayde-6 of the Vanguard."

"I know who you are," Pluto responded, the abrupt reply causing the Exo on the other line to pause, "What do you want?"

"H'm, still a bit sour I see," The Exo Hunter frowned behind his helmet, "Anyway, I would stay and have a pleasant chat but I'll just get to the point." Cayde cleared his throat, "Message from Neptune to Pluto."

This immediately caught the corroded Exo's attention, "A message? From Neptune? How is he?" Pluto stood up abruptly, "Is he still awake? I want to talk to him!"

"Woah, woah, calm down there, Lovebird. He just woke up, he's not strong enough to relay the message himself, so he asked me, a dependable Exo that I am, to relay it to you in his stead."

"…You? Dependable?"

"Shut up. Anyway, he said to tell you that he doesn't have much time left. Neptune is handing the title of Leader to you."

"Me? But-"

"He said not to complain about it and accept it like a real Hunter you are…which, doesn't really make sense when you think about it but anyway, he also said that the fate of Fireteam Galaxy is in your hands now and to come and visit him as soon as you can. Neptune wants to see you one last time before he passes."

"Wait, passes?" Pluto's optics widen, "What do you mean 'passes'?"

"He fought for a long time, Lovebird, he says that it is time for him to stop fighting and accept that it is a fight that he isn't going to win."

"…So this is it? He's just going to pass just like that? Not even going to put up a fight?"

"He put up a fight for decades, 'Hunter'. It is time for Neptune to rest."

The abrupt change in tone of the Hunter Vanguard's voice caused a strained silence to permeate through Pluto's makeshift camp, the only sound emitting from Nix's coms, the Ghost blinking uncomfortably against his Guardian's palm.

"You know as well as I do, Pluto, that not all fights can be won."

"…I know."

"…See you back at the Tower?"

"…Yes, just give…give me a moment to prepare."

With that, Pluto dropped his hand, startling his Ghost as he struggled to keep himself afloat while as trying to sort his parts back together. His plates squeaking as they finally set itself back into place, Nix glided over until he bumped into his Guardian's hand, "Pluto? You alright?"

Feeling the Hunter's hand twitch, Nix scooted closer into his Guardian's palm, feeling the Exo's fingers gently wrap around his shell.

"They say Exos cannot cry," Pluto whispered, "But that does not mean they cannot feel sorrow."

Feeling his Guardian's fingers tremble around his shell, Nix cuddled closer, letting out a hum of comfort as Pluto fell to his knees, his shoulders shaking as he grieved.

Xxx

"Warlock Ianos killed the Archon on his own?"

With her helmet absent, her facial structures were clearly visible as metallic parts scrunched together into an Exo equivalent of a pout, Carina couldn't help but cross her arms as she muttered, "He did have some help."

"But he dealt the finishing blow," Angel reminded, causing the female Titan to pout even further in her seat.

"Exceptional as always," Seeing Ikora nod in approval, Carina watched as the female Warlock turned her gaze to Zavala, only to see the Titan Commander frown, "If you call 'overkill' exceptional."

Immediately, the shining look in the Warlock Vanguard's eyes quickly darkened, prompting Carina to lower herself in her seat as Zavala returned the glare. Moments later, she asked, "Did we, miss something here?"

"If you call letting the Warlock stay or exile him 'something' then, no, there isn't."

Jumping at the familiar voice of Cayde echoing into the room, Carina only had the time to glance over to the entrance of the hall as Zavala's voice spoke out, "Cayde, that was confidential information you just released."

Seeing the Hunter Vanguard nonchalantly lock his fingers together in front of him, the female Titan couldn't help but think that he had more to say but silently walked over to his spot at the table.

"Wait, exile?" It was Angel who asked the question, "Why exile Ianos? What did he do?"

"That is just a part in our little decision making." Carina watched the Exo Hunter shrug, "Although, I would prefer exile over execution if I were him."

"Cayde."

"They have every right to know," Carina jumped at Cayde's retort, blinking as the seemingly laid-back Vanguard was replaced with one who had enough, "The three of us agreed that they are his new Fireteam, correct? Then they should know at least what's going on."

"Cayde." It was Ikora who spoke however, unlike the stern tone she held before, the female Titan instead heard one that was softer and laced with concern, "Cayde, you seem a bit tense. Did something happen between you and your friend?"

No sooner had the female Vanguard's words permeate through the room when Carina saw grief fill into Cayde's optics, however, his posture still held an air of confidence as he stated, "Right. I almost forgot to mention that I finally made contact with Lovebird." The Exo Titan raised a brow at the name, "He should be coming here soon."

"Pluto-99?" Carina turned her gaze to Zavala, "Why now? Every attempt to call him back to the Tower was met with no contact."

"That would be because of my friend," Turning her attention back towards Cayde, the sorrow in his optics were now prominent, taking only moments for Carina to put the pieces together.

"He's dying, isn't he?" It was Ikora who asked the question formulating in the younger Guardian's mind, Carina shifting herself in her seat as her violet optics expectantly stared at the Hunter Vanguard for an answer.

"Not much longer now." Hearing his response, the female Titan turned her gaze to Angel, seeing the same bewildered but empathetic look in his green hues. Then, she watched as the human Hunter lean forward in his seat, "If I may ask, who is Pluto-99?" Carina felt all eyes turn to Angel, "And this who is this friend of yours, Cayde?"

Taking note of Angel's willingness to ask questions, Carina turned her attention back to Cayde, the latter of which let out a low hum as he removed his knife from his sheathe, "Have you two ever heard of the clan, Galaxy?"

Confusion immediately settling into her mind, the female Titan stayed silent as she opted for Angel to answer for both of them, "No?"

Carina heard Cayde let out another hum, "Well, I'm not too surprised, considering their numbers have dwindled down just enough to form a Fireteam." Watching him fiddle with his knife in his hands, the female Titan stayed silent, signaling to the Hunter Vanguard to continue, "After the loss of their original numbers, Galaxy went underground, making it a priority to scout out unknown areas to mark for reclamation. The six that survived were Mercury- 11, Jupiter-50, Saturn-67, Uranus -71, Pluto-99, and their leader, Neptune-88."

Taking in the names of the clan members, Carina's violet optics widen as she put together a pattern, "All Exos?"

"All Exos." Seeing Cayde nod, the female Titan waited in anticipation as the Vanguard Hunter continued to play with his knife in his hands, "But they were 'special', if you can call it that. The members consisting of the clan were known to have undergone a memory wipe so 'deep' that their true names were gone alongside their memories. As such, when they were resurrected-"

"We had no true name to go by."

The sudden introduction of a new voice snapped Carina's attention away from Cayde and turned her gaze towards the entrance of the Hall and immediately, she paused. Standing at the entrance was a Hunter, however, his black and gray attire was torn and covered in the elements, as if he simply had left the Tower and not once looked back. As he took steady strides into the room, a trail of grime and the smell of marsh followed behind him, causing anyone nearby to shuffle away. As she watched him walk past her, Carina's violet optics spotted the white patterns of planets and stars on the backside of his tattered cloak, causing her mind to fumble the clues together as he came to a pause near Cayde. How he was able to tell where the Hunter Vanguard was caused Carina to give the Hunter a bewildered look, as his corroded helmet was tucked under his arm, revealing the white piece of metal that seemingly melded over his optics, obscuring his view. Nonetheless, he placed his helmet on the table before Carina heard the newcomer add, "We found each other through the years, staying close as nameless synthetics while we struggled to keep our place within the Guardians, finding no purpose until an Exo claimed the name Sun-7." Hearing him pause, Carina waited as the Hunter seemingly turned his blind gaze towards everyone in the room, "They gave us a purpose, helping us gain a name from the very galaxy we live in to remind ourselves of our objective: To reclaim what we had lost. As such, was the Galaxy Clan born."

"Lovebird" Carina couldn't help but snicker at Cayde's nickname, "How's it – Traveler! Pluto! When was the last time you cleaned yourself!?" The female Titan watched with mild amusement as Cayde took several steps back, surprise clear in his pale optics, "You really let yourself go."

Carina saw the Exo in question shrug, "That's what happens when you spend decades out in the wilds."

"But even 'I' don't even let myself go that far." The Exo Vanguard scanned the black and grey Hunter up and down, "even before I joined the Vanguard."

Seeing the dark clad Hunter turn his blind optics towards Cayde, the female Exo easily can sense the amused smile forming on Pluto's metallic features, "For a Hunter, you are quite vain on your outlook, Cayde."

"Hey now," Although his face contorted into one of being offended, Carina can easily tell from his tone he took it with a grain of salt, the edges of his voice holding a tinge of play, "I'm not 'that' vain."

As if to confirm Carina's suspicions of the two 'teasing' each other, she heard the blind Exo let out a chuckle, hearing him say nothing as the female Exo watched him turn his hidden gaze towards herself and Angel, "Who are these young lights here?"

"Oh right," Instantly, the playfulness that Carina had sensed from the Hunter Vanguard dissipated and she can feel uneasiness shifting from his shoulders, "This is Angel and Carina -23, they are, Ianos' new Fireteam."

No sooner had Cayde's answer left his lips when the smile on Pluto's face faded and Carina then felt rage ooze off the dark clad Hunter, "New…Fireteam?" At first, bewildered by his words, the female Titan then jumped as the blind Exo suddenly slammed a palm onto the table, easily causing it to rumble and the items on its surface scatter, "Did he not say he did not want a Fireteam!?"

Hearing the anger in his voice, Carina's violet optics slowly turned towards the Vanguard, amazed at how well composed they kept their features neutral and their shoulders held high; a sign that this was not the first time they had seen the Exo Hunter's frustrations.

"How many times did Ianos say he did not a want a Fireteam!?" She heard Pluto snarl, "He said he does not want another one and yet you assigned him one anyway!?"

"It has been years, Pluto," Carina watched as Ikora's bronze gaze narrowed, "It was time for him to move on and-"

"His previous teams were more than just a 'team'!" Another fist on the table caused Carina to reel her attention back onto the dark clad Hunter, "They were his family! His friends! There is a reason why he decided to work alone, Ikora! He gets too attached! Too connected! He cannot take another loss!"

Soaking in the words of the Exo in front of her, Carina took the time to turn her gaze towards Angel, seeing the wide-eyed expression on his face as his hands clenched the arms of his seat tightly; it seems he was taken aback from Pluto's outburst. And so was Carina. But seeing Angel part his lips, the Exo Titan knew that his surprise did little to stop him from sating his curiosity.

"What do you mean when you say he's 'too attached'?"

Seeing Pluto snap his blind gaze towards Angel, Carina easily see the younger Hunter's shoulders tense, his green hues growing wider as he felt the dark clad Hunter's piercing gaze. Although no sooner had the Exo Hunter fixated his gaze upon the human Hunter, Carina can also sense the rage subtly subside; it showed to Carina that Pluto has some control over where he directed his anger.

"Ianos is an emotional individual." Doubt immediately lingered into the female Titan's mind, "He's too empathetic. He bonds himself to fellow Guardians too easily to the point where even upon a short meeting, he feels like it his responsibility to keep them safe."

Letting the memories of the Warlock's treatment towards both herself and Angel during the mission flash in her mind, Carina couldn't help but let the doubt grow before she couldn't contain herself any longer, "Emotional? Empathetic? You sure we are talking about the same 'Ianos' here? He was condescending and rude to both Angel and I during our time with him." She let out a scoff as she added, "Emotional? Empathetic? He is none of those things. If anything, he is a selfish prat who had gotten what he had deserved."

No sooner had her words left her lips when she saw Pluto turn his gaze towards her and when she sensed the rage return to his posture, Carina couldn't help but let a small tinge of regret grow in the back of her mind. This regret turned into one of fear as the Hunter disappeared from her sight before Carina felt a force pull her seat away from the table, turn it around and felt hands slam into the arms of her chair, causing her to snap her arms close to her chest. Taking in a gulp, Carina lifted her gaze unsteadily to stare into the white sheet of metal that covered Pluto's optics although, she didn't have to seem them to sense the unbridled fury emitting behind them.

"Tell me, 'tiny' light." The Exo Titan took in a shuddering breath, straightening out her posture to keep herself composed; she wasn't going to go down without a fight, "Have you ever experienced loss? The pain of losing someone you called friend and family for years?" Carina barely had time to comprehend Pluto's words before she saw him lean in, prompting her to keep a neutral expression as his face stopped mere centimeters from hers, "That agony is something you can never imagine 'little' light. So, don't you 'dare' speak as if you already know Ianos, 'especially' since you hardly even known him for more than a few days."

Seeing Pluto finally pull away from her, the Exo Titan still kept her guard up however, placed her hands back onto the arms of her chair as the blind Hunter took steps back, "And here I thought the Vanguard knew how to place Fireteam members that know how to 'compliment' each other. Are the three of you turning that incompetent of your positions?"

"Pluto-"

"Don't 'Pluto' me." The female Exo wonders how Pluto can easily interrupt the head of the Vanguard so easily; she ponders if it's the 'years' she can sense emitting from the dark clad Hunter, "I was called back to the Tower and the first thing I heard when I landed was talk about 'exile' and 'execution'. Care to explain?"

Immediately, the room went silent, and if there was anyone that the Exo Titan currently pities for, it is the three Vanguard currently standing around the table behind her; and from the way Pluto let out a sound of annoyance, he wasn't too pleased at the lack of an answer. Although that didn't stop her violet optics from going wide when Pluto removed a scout rifle from his back, "Are you going to answer or is my gun going to have to make you talk?" As if to emphasize his words, he pulled on the small lever on the side, Carina hearing the familiar 'click', signaling that it was indeed loaded.

"Put that away!" It was Cayde, "No need to resort to violence! We'll talk about it! Just, just put that gun away, alright?"

Hearing Pluto let out a scoff, Carina let out a breath of relief when Pluto sheathed his weapon onto his back before hearing the Vanguard Hunter mutter behind her, "By the Traveler, now I see where Ianos gets his violent side from."

Immediately, the Exo Titan sensed the glare Pluto shot at the Exo Vanguard, "What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Another scoff left the blind Exo's lips before he nodded his head; a sign for the Vanguard to start talking.

"It's the darkness within him," Carina's optics widen at Zavala's words, "We came to believe that it is-"

"Only temporary." The young Titan reeled back at Pluto's growl, "He can fight it off."

"It is consuming his light," The female Exo didn't have to turn around to sense the frown on Zavala's features, "If we leave him be any longer, it will completely devour him which will lead to two scenarios: His death or he will turn into a vessel of Darkness." Carina heard Angel cough next to her, "The risks of letting him stay here is too high. If he indeed does turn to the Darkness, he will endanger everyone around him. We cannot let him stay in the Tower any longer."

"So, exile is the answer?" Carina heard Pluto hiss, "or was that the plan over execution?"

"We are trying to find a solution to this, Pluto." It was Ikora who spoke next, Carina hearing her tone staying even and calm, "We are also discussing whether he is applicable to stay and live out the rest of his years here."

"Of which, knowing the Vanguard, he will be under heavy watch and cannot leave the Tower unless without an escort, correct?" Pluto snarled, "and let me guess, with someone who is willing to 'do the job' if things go wrong?"

"Look, Pluto, I understand why you are upset-"

"He can fight it off!" Carina jumped at Pluto's outburst, "I have been executing fellow Guardians since the day I was resurrected! How else do you think I have earned the alias 'The Executioner'!? I have been doing it for years! So I know what I am saying when I say not all Guardians succumb to the darkness that taint their light!"

Seeing the blind Hunter take in a breath, Carina sat idly in her seat as the former added, "He survived this long, did he not? He survived years, decades, with his light tainted by the darkness and the first few years without the aid of his 'system'." A sigh then escaped from Pluto, "I need to speak to Neptune about this. Alone." Watching the blind Exo lift his gaze, the Exo Titan once again sensed the glare emitting behind his makeshift blindfold, "And if you do 'anything' to Ianos while I am around, then I 'will' make you pay."

The female Titan choked at Pluto's threat, her optics wide as the Hunter exited the Hall, "He-He just threatened you." Carina turned her seat around, her violet optics falling upon the Vanguard, "He just threatened you! The Vanguard! The supposed 'best' of their class! How can he-"

"We heard you Carina," The female Titan paused as Cayde wrung his hands nervously together, "Here I thought things would go smoothly with him."

"Does anything go smoothly with Pluto-99?" A sigh escaped from Ikora as Carina watched Zavala pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Titan Carina, Hunter Angel." The Exo Guardian sat up straight in attention, "You are dismissed. Make sure everything you heard in here is kept to yourselves." Carina blinked, "'Everything'."

"But-"

"Now!"

Startled at the sudden raise in volume from the Titan Commander, Carina jumped up from her seat, stumbling over her feet as she exited the Hall, hearing Angel's quick footsteps follow behind her.

"Do you think what they said in there is true?" The female Exo paused at her comrade's question, "That Ianos is infected with the Darkness?"

Pondering on the questions of the human Hunter, Carina opted to say nothing, and instead remained silent as they made the small trek to their quarters.

Xxxx

"Hello how can I help – Pluto?" Hearing the surprise in the Medic's voice, Pluto opted to say nothing as he came to a pause just short of Matt's position, "When did you get here, and you're a mess."

"We'll catch up later, Matt," The Exo Hunter sensed the bewildered stare, "but first, a visit."

Hearing nothing but silence permeate between the two of them, Pluto once again opted to say nothing, and soon heard Matt let out a sound of understanding, "Make it quick, I highly suspect he is going to pass soon."

Giving the medic a nod in thanks, Pluto headed down the hallway, holding out his palm as he heard the familiar sound of his Ghost materializing into view, "Nix, scan the doors for me."

Hearing Nix let out a click in confirmation, the Exo Hunter then heard the familiar sound of scans echoing in his auditory sensors, sensing the light emitting from the source in his palm.

"Here," Nix announced as Pluto sensed the light fade from his Ghost's optics, causing him to come to a pause, "Ready?"

Instead of immediately responding, a nervous smile flashed onto his metallic features before Pluto reached out with one hand and pressed his hand against to what he believes to be the door. Tracing the frame, his hand came to a familiar panel on the side, prompting him to press his hand into the slot and the familiar brush of air of the door sliding open rang into the air. Taking in a breath, Pluto slid his hand away from the frame and took a step inside. Almost immediately, he felt something thin and wiry snag around his face and neck, and instantly, his body screamed for him to swat them away, the lack of sight setting his senses into overdrive. But Pluto forced the panic down with pure experience and will, telling himself quietly that the very things snagging around his neck was the machines keeping his Fireteam leader alive. As such, Pluto held out his hand again, the familiar rusted form of Nix materializing into the air.

"Nix."

"On it."

Hearing his Ghost let out another click, the familiar sound of Nix's parts expanding hummed into the air before he sensed light flash all around him. Then just as quickly as it appeared, it faded, "Data sent."

Standing patiently, Pluto waited until the dark space in his vision suddenly exploded with white lines and shapes, causing the Exo to tilt his head slightly as the lines slowly drew into the room before him, revealing the wires and machines lined up against the wall. And the single occupant in the middle of it all.

Taking in a sharp breath, Pluto took a step back, tentatively untangling himself before ducking and weaving his way past the wires, eventually making his way to the middle. No sooner had he reached the bed that held Neptune when he sensed the light within the incapacitated Exo strengthen, feeling the warmth permeate through the room, "H-Hello, Pluto."

"Hello, Neptune," Pluto let out a dry smile, "How are you feeling?"

"O-oh, I-I can't feel anything. T-they turned off my neuro-sensors when they brought me here."

"…Not that kind of feeling."

"O-ooh, you mean 'that' kind of feeling? I-I am sorry, I misunderstood." Hearing Neptune laugh, grief and regret tugged in the back of Pluto's mind although, he forced out a smile at his Fireteam Leader's jest.

"T-To answer your question, I am tired. T-Their attempts to reboot my main system only rejuvenates me momentarily, b-but it is not enough to keep me conscious for long periods of time." Taking in the Exo Warlock's words, Pluto then leaned over and intertwined fingers with the broken Exo's, earning a light chuckle in response, "I-If I may ask, what happened to you?"

A dry chuckle escaped the Exo Hunter before he could stop himself, "Where do you think Hunters go to meditate? To clear their mind?"

"T-t-the wilds then?" Nodding his head in confirmation to Neptune's question, Pluto then heard him add, "T-t-that must have taken years to accumulate enough mud to turn your face brown like that, Pluto. E-Especially since it was originally black." A pause, "J-just…how long did it take for it to turn out like that?"

The disheveled Hunter hesitated, his fingers squeezing the hand of his Leader's as he fidgeted on his feet, letting silence permeate through the room before he finally responded, "Decades, lost count on how many."

The Exo Hunter heard a silent 'ah' emit from Neptune,"T-Then that's how long I have been in here." A sigh, "S-So, Cayde circulated my message to you?"

Another nod, "S-so you know then? Y-you are to be the new leader of our Fireteam. A-and our Clan."

"What Fireteam?" Pluto blurted, hearing the Exo Warlock go silent, "What Clan? It is just to the two of us now, Neptune. The rest of our so called 'Fireteam'…Our 'Clan', is gone." He heaved out a sad sigh, his shoulders slumping as he added, "And soon, I am going to be the last one left." Pluto tilted his blind eyes to where he believes the broken Exo is, "I am going to be alone."

"W-Who says that you are going to be alone?" He can easily sense the disapproval emitting from Neptune, "H-Have you already forgotten about our 'Little Light'?"

In response to his question, Pluto let out a snort, "Of course not, but with darkness tainting his light, I am not even sure how much longer he will live. Who knows though, he could be like me, fighting until the end, or…" The Hunter hesitated, "He could be like you. Know when it is time for you to acknowledge that you cannot always win, despite how much you fight back."

"L-L-Little Light always have been a fighter, you know this." Pluto sensed the comforting smile Neptune gave him, "H-How else do you think he made it this far?"

"But he could be at his limit," Pluto retorted, feeling the comforting stare turn into one of bewilderment, "The Vanguard is currently debating whether to exile him or to put him under guard. They are even considering execution." He paused, letting the words sink into his partner before he added, "They believe that he will completely succumb to darkness."

Feeling Neptune's hand grip tightly in his, Pluto waited patiently, letting the Exo Warlock ponder on his words, "B-But he has been around for years. G-Going as far as the Dark Ages. H-he-he fought against the Darkness for years but yet, this is how they repay him?"

"You know how most are today," Pluto couldn't help but sneer, "Even mention the darkness, and they will immediately perceive it as a threat, no matter who or what it is." The Hunter scoffed, "All those years of work only for it to crumble, all because 'one' incident on the Moon that the Vanguard refuses to acknowledge."

"Y-y-you know as well as I do that Little Light did not have the proper evidence to back up his claim, despite his obvious injuries and trauma." He heard Neptune sigh, "I-If only we can find evidence that will even clear Little Light's name, or even give his words a tiny bit of credence."

"I know," It was Pluto's turn to lament, pulling his blind gaze up to the empty space in front of him, "We will find evidence, someday."

Sensing another smile being given to him by Neptune, Pluto returned the gesture, only for his smile to fade as he heard the broken Exo let out a grasp, feeling his hands clamp tightly around his grip, "My-My light."

At first confused, Pluto's blind eyes went wide when he reached out with his senses, only for his dark vision to be filled with a small flame, flickering away in the darkness as it dimmed with each passing second, "No, No it is too soon!" Pluto reached out and placed his hands onto his fellow Exo's chest, as if in an attempt to prevent the small essence of life and light from escaping, "I need more time!" He then raised one of his hands, summoning the familiar star shape AI into the room, "I need more time!"

Lowering his hand to let his Ghost work, instead of progress, all Pluto heard was Nix sputtering, "I-I cannot do anything." He heard Nix's parts expand and click together in a panic, "His anatomy is different to yours. I cannot risk repairing him without proper data."

"So you are just going to let him die!?"

"N-No, I-"

"P-Pluto." Hearing the familiar voice of Neptune echo through the air, Pluto fixated his blind gaze back onto what he believes to be the broken Exo's form, "C-Can y-you t-t-take m-m-me o-ou-outs-side? I-I-I w-wa-want t-to-to s-see the T-T-Trav-Traveler o-one l-l-last t-t-time."

Hearing the familiar tone of acceptance in the broken Exo's voice, Pluto remained silent, his mind numbingly trying to process the situation. Then, slowly, the Exo Hunter slowly reached out, tracing his fingers upwards until he found the battered face of Neptune. Then tenderly, he cupped his cheek as he forced out the words, "As you wish."

As he leaned over to scoop Neptune into his arms, Pluto heard Nix sputter over his shoulders, "But the machines! The wires! What if he can't live long to see the-"

"He. Will. Live," Pluto paused, hearing his Ghost go silent, "At least, long enough to see the Traveler." Hefting what remained of the Warlock into his arms, Pluto glanced down when he felt Neptune lay his head against his chest, "One last time." With that, Pluto turned and headed towards the exit of the room, only to jerk back as he felt the wires tightening around Neptune's form. Hearing the Warlock let out a groan in response, the Exo Hunter gritted his jaw before taking one large step forward and tugged. Immediately, the familiar sound of the wires snapping rang in his auditory sensors followed by Neptune's shuddering breath, causing the Exo Hunter to pause, his grip tight on the broken Warlock's shoulders.

"I-I'm f-fine," He heard Neptune rasp out, "K-Keep g-going."

Listening to the Warlock's labored breaths momentarily, Pluto brought Neptune closer to his chest before taking steps forward.

"You're out," He heard Nix announce as he heard the Ghost let out a few clicks, the familiar black and white images flowing into his optics signaling to Pluto that the Ghost was scanning their surroundings, "Sending the data to your optics, should be enough to get you out of here."

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

"Or not," Hearing Nix hover back close to his shoulder, Pluto came to a pause as he heard quick footsteps approach.

"You are endangering the life of a patient, return to him to his room, now."

Momentarily silent, Pluto gave the medic a blank stare before he stated, "He wants to see the Traveler."

"And risk him dying for such a request?" The Hunter sighed at the human's words, "He is already in critical condition. Take him outside and he'll-"

"Enough." Recognizing Matt's voice, Pluto couldn't help but let a smirk form onto his metallic features; he's won.

"But-"

"Pluto, take Neptune outside. You have my permission."

Nodding his head in thanks, Pluto resumed his strides, quickly passing the Head Medic as he followed the digital map built within his blind optics. Quickly exiting the Medical Wing, Pluto then felt a rush of cold air as he resumed his quest towards the Plaza as he listened to Neptune's quiet breathing. Seeing himself reach the Plaza, Pluto momentarily paused as he heard no sound of rushing footsteps or clanking of armor, a sign that it is nearing the end of the day; a scenario that Pluto did not mind. This signaled to the Exo Hunter resumed his pace before the digital map showed his position he had reached his destination and as such, he stumbled over to the grass before taking a seat. Cradling Neptune's broken form in his lap, he then felt the Exo Warlock shift in his movement; more than likely in an attempt to gain a better view of the Traveler.

"B-Beautiful a-a-as-as a-a-al-always" He heard a sigh of content emit from Neptune, "W-W-Wish I-I-I c-could h-ha-have s-se-seen i-it w-w-when i-i-it w-was a-a-al-alive, i-i-in a-all i-i-its g-glory."

"We will bring it back," Pluto blurted, tightening his grip on the broken Warlock, "even if it takes us years, we 'will' bring it back."

The Hunter heard the Warlock chuckle, "R-Re-m-mem-ber w-w-when t-the To-Tower w-was f-f-first b-built?"

"Back when we use to sit right here and just watch the Traveler light up the sky?" Pluto reminisced, "How can I forget that? It is the only one of the few memories I have that does not involve fighting against the Darkness."

"S-So p-peaceful," He heard Neptune let out a quiet hum, "P-Pl-Pluto, I-I h-have o-one-one m-more r-re-request o-of y-you."

"Yes?"

"O-O-Our L-Li-Little L-Light… T-Take c-care o-o-of h-him... p-p-pro-prot-t-tect…"

Pluto waited, waiting patiently for Neptune to finish his sentence. When moments passed and silence continued to permeate the air, the Hunter glanced down with his blind eyes, as if attempting to look into the Warlock's dimmed optics before bringing the broken Exo even closer to his chest, his grip squeezing on Neptune's shoulder.

Hearing Nix hover over his shoulders once more, Pluto attempted to suppress his grief, his shoulders shaking as he took in a breath, "I promise."

Xxxxx

Nix may not have use of his optic anymore but he can still hear and the stifled sobs of his Guardian permeated quietly through the air. The rusted Ghost was just glad that they were alone out in the Plaza (according to his knowledge at least); he doesn't want to know how the Guardians will see Pluto differently when they figure out 'The Executioner' is just as vulnerable to emotions as themselves.

"And they say that Exos cannot grieve because they are unable to shed tears," Nix lamented as the night filled with the grief filled cries of the Hunter.


	6. Patrol

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Patrol**_

 _ **Edited 6/22/2017**_

 _Made some grammar changes and removed some unneeded text in this chapter._

* * *

"So, you are unable to access the database?"

Watching the white and red Ghost twirl her back fins in annoyance, Angel can easily see the glare in her green optic as Hope turned towards him, "For the last time, Angel, every time I try to access it, I keep gettin' 'I changed the encryption' from Cayde." He then heard her let out a frustrated sigh, "It seems he had put in an override that only works with our frequency."

"Let me guess? It changes the encryption every time 'we' try to access it?" Seeing Hope bob once to signify a nod, Angel leaned back in his seat, letting out a hum, "Well, I guess that's what we get for trying to access the Vanguard database whenever we wanted."

Hearing Hope let out a laugh in response, Angel watched from the edges of his vision as the female Ghost glided over from the table, hovering above his shoulders as she stated, "That was fun. Ikora and Zavala scramblin' around to figure out those 'monthly technical difficulties' while Cayde gets stumped on how we hack it, even though 'he's' the one who taught us."

"Makes me wonder why he never told Ikora and Zavala that it was us this entire time." The Human Hunter smiled to himself, focusing his gaze towards the windows of his apartment, "Then again, it won't seem to matter anymore since we can't access the database."

"For now." Grinning at his Ghost's words, the human Guardian then paused as the female Ghost then added, "But how else are we goin' to learn who this 'Lynn' and 'Kaye' are?"

Tilting his head in thought, Angel let out a silent whistle, "If you want an honest answer, I have no clue." He then deflated in his seat, letting out a grunt as he then stated, "Might not have any other choice but to ask."

"Ask?" He watched as Hope glided over near his face, her parts shifting against her core as she continued, "What makes you think that they will just tell you?"

"Either that, or I blab about what I heard last night."

Angel then watched the female Ghost's optic widen, "You sure that's a good idea? The Vanguard maybe 'indifferent' to a lot of things but, they do have a line when it comes to 'threats'."

In response to Hope's words, the human Hunter shrugged, "Not sure if it's a good idea to 'blackmail' but, I'm curious enough to do it."

At first, momentarily silent, the sudden bursting laughter of Hope caused Angel to smile, hearing the Ghost exclaim, "Well, what are we waitin' for? Shall we go and ask the Vanguard?"

Letting out a laugh of his own, Angel pushed himself from his seat, dipping past his furniture before walking over to the exit of his quarters, pressing a hand on the panel on the side before stepping out of the sliding door. Nodding his head to passing Guardians, Angel waited until the familiar sound of the door sliding shut behind him echoed through the hall before he turned and slowly made his way out of the corridor, squinting as the bright rays of the sun reflected into his eyes as he walked out into the familiar scene of the bustling Plaza.

"Who do you think this Lynn and Kaye are?" Angel turned his green eyes towards Hope, the latter of which spun her back fins as she hovered near his shoulders, humming, "I mean, besides being a pair of Guardians that he had known?"

Pondering on the words of his Ghost, the human Hunter stayed momentarily silent before finally responding, "Considering Ianos' history, I am willing to bet that they were once a Fireteam, at least, before us anyway." Hearing Hope let out a click of agreement, he then continued, "Although, problem is, I never heard of these Guardians before and we are not exactly a large faction, if you know what I mean?"

"Even I never heard of them." He heard the female Ghost hum thoughtfully, "Although, then again, I spent most of my years searching for you." She then glided closer to Angel, the human Hunter seeing her lift her parts upward; a Ghost equivalent of a grin, "so I can safely say that they must have existed before you were resurrected, Angel."

"Good point." The human Guardian gave his Ghost a soft smile, "Considering how often we hack into the Vanguard Database to read up the files on our fellow Guardians."

"Ones that are alive anyway." Hope pointed out, "It is faster to read the files on those who are still 'active'. Especially since the dead outnumber the living, sadly."

Flinching at the words of the female Ghost, the Hunter shifted on the heels of his feet uncomfortably before quickly stating, "Let's just get to the Vanguard so we can figure out who – Carina?"

Coming to a pause just near the steps of the entrance of the Hall of Guardians, the human Hunter's green hues spotted the familiar copper clad form of Carina, the silver Exo turning her violet optics his way at the call of her name, "Angel? What are you doing here?"

Greeting the female Titan with a warm smile, Angel approached the Exo Titan, "To figure out who this 'Lynn' and 'Kaye' are? You here for the same reason?"

He watched Carina nod, seeing the female Titan's optics flash towards the floor, crossing her arms across her chest as she stated, "Just the way Ianos called us by those names. He said it with such familiarity, and grief." The Exo then shuddered, Angel feeling her optics turn back towards him, "I do not know why but it bothers me that Ianos saw us as different individuals." Watching her arms fall back to her side, Angel mentally agreed with Carina's next words, "I just hope that the Vanguard will have the answers we need and help clear my mind of this."

Recalling the moment before they transmatted into Ianos' ship, when had he heard the Awoken Warlock call him 'Kaye', Angel can easily sense the warmth in the names followed by a sense of longing, as if the Warlock was reaching out to those out of reach. Or dead.

Feeling a chill run down the length of his spine, Angel couldn't help but let out a shiver of his own; he hoped that he was wrong. There was only one way to find out the truth, however.

"Since we're both here, want to ask the Vanguard with me?" The Hunter saw her optics widen at the notion, "Oh, come on, you just said you want things cleared. Why not now?"

He can clearly see the hesitation in her violet optics, her gaze glancing around her surroundings before her shoulders straightened out and she fixated her gaze back into his green hues, "Won't hurt to try."

"Then what are we waitin' for?" Angel reeled back as Hope's white and red form butted in between the two, only to let out a laugh as the female Ghost added, "Let's go and ask! I'm dyin' to know!"

Letting the last few chuckles leave his lips, the human Hunter glanced back towards Carina before motioning with his hand to follow, turning around, and descending down the steps towards the Hall. Easily brushing past the familiar dark clad form of Eris, Angel gave a nod of greeting to Shaxx before descending down one more pair of steps into the room, immediately hearing the brief conversation between the three Vanguard come to a pause; nothing escapes their attention.

"All rest and cleaned up I see," Cayde greeted, pushing himself away from his map as Angel closed the distance between himself and table, the human Hunter hearing the familiar heavy footsteps of Carina coming to a pause beside him, "But, I can guess that you're not here to inform us of how you're doing."

"How do you – "Angel heard Carina pause as Cayde lifted a hand, the Hunter Vanguard then stating, "I'm a Hunter, kid. What else do you expect?"

"…Oh."

Silently snickering at the female Exo, Angel then came to attention as Cayde asked, "So, what can we do for you two?"

"We have a question," The human Hunter easily can sense the bewildered stares from the three Vanguard, "Do you know the names Lynn and Kaye?"

Immediately a silence permeated through the room, causing Angel to shift nervously on his feet before turning his green eyes at Carina, locking onto her violet optics as she returned the gesture.

"How did you get those names?" Turning his gaze back towards Ikora, Angel hesitated, wringing his hands together as he contemplated for an answer; Carina beat him to it, "From Ianos. When we were ready to head back to the Tower after killing the Archon, he called Angel and I 'Lynn' and 'Kaye' respectively." Angel then heard her pause, sensing the hesitancy from the female Titan before she added, "The familiarity and warmth in his words, we cannot help but be unsettled that he confused us for someone else. Who were they?"

A sigh then permeated from Cayde, Angel watching the Hunter Vanguard glancing over at his fellow Guardians, making eye contact momentarily before nodding in silent agreement.

"Hunter Lynn-10 and Titan Kaye Raith." Zavala started, gaining the attention of Angel and Carina respectively, "They were two of the many Guardians to help implement the Tower as a beacon of the Last City, and they were one of first few Guardians to dare step past the Wall." He then sighed, "From the look in your eyes, the two of you already had suspected that they were once part of Ianos' Fireteam."

"His first 'recorded' Fireteam if I may add." Cayde butted in, "Not long after the Tower was built, the three of them banded together to help patrol the Wall and did so for several years."

"But their lives were cut short when they were ambushed by Fallen when they attempted to extend their boundaries." Ikora finished, earning wide eyed looks from the younger Guardians, "and although he did his best, Ianos was the only one out of the three to make it back alive."

Curiosity peaked in the back of Angel's mind at the new piece of information, "If Lynn and Kaye didn't make it out, then how did Ianos make it back?"

"The ambush took place in a high storied building, tenth floor if I remember correctly." It was Cayde who answered, "Ianos was accidently kicked into one of the elevator shafts by a Fallen. Although killed by the fall, it was a good enough hiding place to ensure his Ghost's safety and resurrection." He then paused, as if lamenting over the next few words, "For Lynn and Kaye, they weren't so lucky."

"So, pure luck then?" Angel couldn't help but let a pang of empathy build up in his chest as the Vanguard Hunter nodded in confirmation; it would explain why Ianos acted harshly towards the two young Guardian's actions. A simple mistake is enough to get even the most experienced Guardians killed, and the Veteran Guardian had experienced that first hand. This also made the human Hunter wonder, how many other teams did he survive from just from 'pure luck'?

"The first recorded team he survived from and sadly, not the last."

Although at first, bewildered by the intrusion of a new voice, it took only moments for Angel to recognize it as he turned and focused his attention onto the entrance of the room, only for his suspicions to be confirmed; it was Pluto, the Exo Hunter still clad in his gray and black armor and now, with his helmet secured over his head. However, unlike the night before, the Hunter was all cleaned and repaired; even his Ghost, the latter of which hovered over his shoulder, had lost all the rust and must from the years and the color of viridian can be seen gleaming on his shell. The only thing that did not change was the cloak, the dark cloth still battered and worn but the insignia of the stars and planets now visible against the cleaned surface.

"Lovebird." Angel heard Cayde chime as Pluto slowly descended down the steps, "How is your day going so far-"

"What makes you think I want to speak to you?"

Hearing the growl in Pluto's voice, the human Hunter didn't blame Cayde for suddenly going silent, and Angel took in a breath as the Exo Hunter approached both he and Carina, the younger Guardian easily sensing the narrowed glance behind his visor.

"Nix."

Watching the viridian shell Ghost bob once in confirmation of the Hunter's words, Angel froze when Nix's optic came to life, red flashing into view before the familiar thin light of a scanner beamed over his form, quickly lifting up and down before disappearing from his sight. At first, confused at the action, the younger Guardian opted to stay silent and instead, watch Nix do the same for Carina, seeing the Exo Titan's shoulders square out and her violet optics narrowing as the Ghost finished the scan.

"Data sent to your optics." Nix announced as the Ghost's optics dimmed once more, Angel watching him return to his rightful place over Pluto's shoulders. No sooner had he done this when the Exo Hunter let out a short snort, "Average at best."

"Excuse me?" Angel couldn't help but blurt out the question, bewilderment building up in the back of his mind as he watched Pluto's visor turn towards him, "Nix took scans of your light and from what I can tell, there is nothing to be impressed about."

"What?!" The human Hunter watched as Carina took a threatening step forward, her violet optics flaring with fury, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You two are inexperienced, hardly alive for a year and the data he took from your Ghosts confirms this." Pluto turned his focus towards Carina, "You fight in the Crucible often but yet you lack experience in the field, treating the Fallen like targets instead of real enemies."

"Why I ought to- "

"And you." Angel froze as he felt Pluto's gaze fall onto him, "You may have stolen a Fallen ship to head back to Earth from Venus, but besides that, there is hardly anything special on your record." He then watched the Exo Hunter lean in, as if to empathize his next words, "It also doesn't help that your Ghost had to be the one to start up the ship and you were the one who crashed it."

Gulping at the older Guardian's words, Angel watched as Pluto straightened his posture and let out a scoff, "With that kind of record, I don't trust the two of you to have the capability to watch Ianos' back." The human Hunter blinked at the Exo's words, "Inexperienced. Attuned to only one Light. Not to mention barely able to take on an Archon together."

"We're still young!" Angel turned his focus onto Carina, watching the silver Exo spit out, "give us a chance and we will show you what we are capable of!"

"Good." Seeing the Exo Hunter lift his gaze over their shoulders, Angel didn't have to look back to know that he was looking back at the spectating Vanguard, "Because I am taking you two on a patrol with me to the Cosmodrome."

It was then the fire around Carina dissipated, Angel easily sensing the rage being replaced by confusion, "But, we just got back."

Disappointment then oozed off the older Guardian, "Did you not just state that you wanted to prove yourself?" Angel then watched Pluto take several steps forward, up until he was almost shoulder to shoulder with the two younger Guardians, "Pack up in fifteen and meet me at the Hangar. Any later, and I will consider the two of you incompetent of being part of Ianos' Fireteam."

"That is a decision not up to you." It was Ikora who spoke, Angel hearing the Warlock Vanguard keep an even but stern tone as Pluto gave her a glare, "Zavala, Cayde, and I thought it best for Titan Carina and Hunter Angel to partner with Ianos for the reason that –"

"Do you think that I had already forgotten about last night?" Angel gulped at the snarl emitting from the back of the Exo Hunter's throat, "I am not quite in the mood to 'chat' and 'reason' right now."

It was then the younger Guardian sensed the puzzled stare that Ikora gave the blind Exo before she heard her let out a whisper, "That bond…"

At first, confused by her words, Angel examined the Hunter's upper left arm and he paused as he spotted the familiar Warlock equipment, blue sparks emitting off from the piece as he heard Ikora add, "Is that-"

"Shut up!" Angel jumped at the sudden raise in volume of Pluto's voice before sensing the hardened gaze of the Exo Hunter place back onto him, "Fifteen minutes or else I will consider the two of you incompetent of being a part of Ianos' team."

Then, without another word, the Exo Guardian turned and stomped out of the Hall, the viridian shell of his Ghost following after. This left the inhabiting Guardians in silence, Angel and Carina glancing at each other with worry in their gaze.

"Fifteen minutes?" Carina broke the silence, Angel watching her turn around to fixate her violet optics onto the Vanguard, prompting him to do the same, "that's hardly enough time to grab our equipment and go."

"Better get going then." Angel blinked at Cayde's words, "Pluto is well known for his short patience, which, I have to add, he is also known for being quite 'violent'."

Taking in the words of the Vanguard Hunter, the human Hunter gulped at the possible consequences of being late, and as such, caused him grab Carina by her arm, turn, and head towards the Hall of Guardians, ignoring the female Titan's words of protests.

Xxxxx

"What's your relationship with Ianos?"

Frowning behind his visor as he sat in his ship, instead of answering the young Hunter's question, Pluto opted to grip his hands tightly on the controls, moving them just ever so slightly to properly align with Nix's scans, "Instead of asking questions, focus on piloting your ship. We may be heading to the Cosmosdrome but, that doesn't mean there might be a possibility of us bumping into Fallen Forces."

"Doesn't mean we can't pass the time when we have the peace." Pluto scoffed at the human Guardian's words, "Are you and Ianos friends?"

The Exo Hunter remained silent.

"Former Fireteam?"

Pluto leaned forward in his seat, pressing buttons on the consoles of his ship before resuming his previous composure.

"How about-"

"Are you two lovers?"

Immediately, Pluto let out a choke, hearing a piercing laugh echo through the coms followed by the nervous chuckle of the human Hunter, "What made you get that idea!?"

"You weren't answering?" The Exo Hunter gave the coms a blank stare in response, "How else am I supposed to gain your attention?"

Heaving out a sigh at the young Titan's words, Pluto leaned back in his seat and released his hold on the controls, hearing the familiar hum of Nix taking pilot, "The two of you really want to know my relationship with Ianos?"

"Of course."

Rubbing the back of his neck at Angel's answer, Pluto at first, stayed momentarily silent, taking in the sound of Nix shifting controls before stating, "We were his mentor, being around as long, possibly even longer than Ianos, but the first time we met was back during the days the City was being built, and we just had happened to bump into each other in the streets." He then paused, taking in a breath as he continued, "When we had met Ianos, he was on the edge of breaking, contemplating his life before we took him under our wing."

"So, you let him join your clan?"

"No."

Hearing the younger Guardians go silent behind the coms, Pluto explained, "We may have taken him under our wing, but our clan have certain 'requirements' to be a member. Doesn't mean they didn't treat him like family."

"And you bonded?"

"Yes."

The coms went silent once more, letting Pluto take in the silence before Angel broke in, "Sir Pluto."

The Exo Hunter frowned at this, "Just Pluto."

"Pluto," Angel corrected himself, "I do apologize if this sounds personal but I cannot help but notice you keep saying, 'we'." Pluto paused, "Who is 'we'?"

Instead of immediately answering, the Exo Guardian reached up to the bond wrapped around his arm, letting his fingers trace the patterns on the surface as he felt the hum of the cracking arc light vibrate into his fingertips, "You have seen the bond I am currently wearing, correct?" He paused, waiting for a response, continuing when he received none, "It had belonged to a Warlock named Neptune-88. Alongside me, he also mentored Ianos." A bitter chuckle left his lips, "A Hunter can only carry a Warlock so far, don't you think?"

Hearing the coms go silent once more, Pluto took the opportunity to silently mourn, continuing to trace the patterns on the bond, feeling the light beat steadily within before the stillness in the air was finally broken, "Am I allowed to guess that Neptune was a Stormcaller?"

Immediately, Pluto let out a snort, easily sensing the confusion emitting behind the coms, "Does the bond give it away? Kind of hard to guess when its sparks arc light, doesn't it?"

Hearing Angel stutter behind the coms, the older Guardian couldn't help but let out an amused smirk as the human Hunter stated, "I-I was just making sure! There are plenty of Warlocks that run around with Sunsinger bonds but are actually Voidwalkers!"

"Keep an open mind, newborn," Pluto reprimanded, the smile on his features quickly being replaced with a scowl, "You know as well as I do that Guardians can access more than one different kind of light."

"So, Neptune wasn't just a Stormcaller?"

Taking in the young Hunter's question, the Exo couldn't help but let a sense of pride tinge the edges of his voice as he answered, "He was a Stormcaller, Sunsinger, 'and' a Voidwalker." He paused as he heard Angel let out a choke, "What?"

At first, hearing nothing but gibberish from the human Hunter, Pluto opted to wait, his patience being rewarded as Angel managed to stutter out, "Three?! I heard of Guardians mastering two but three!?"

In response to the young Guardian's reaction, Pluto simply shrugged, "Rare, but possible. I know of several Guardians who have mastered all three attunements. They just prefer sticking to one."

"Wait, does that count yourself?"

It took Pluto only a second to answer the question, "No."

"What?" It was Carina this time, the older Exo easily hearing the puzzlement in her voice, "You said that you were old, possibly older, than Ianos."

Pluto frowned at this, "Does not mean I mastered all three attunements. Mastering them takes 'years', especially for the 'Lights of Old'. Most die in an attempt to master it."

"And you know this 'how'?"

Sensing the disbelief in the female Titan's words, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but let out a scoff, "I myself almost died trying to attune to Void Light." He immediately heard the coms go quiet, "it took deep meditation and even then, I was nearly devoured by the void. From what my clan mates told me, it looks like as though the void itself had grabbed me until I forced it to take on the form of my bow. Doesn't mean I didn't stay two weeks in the Medical Wing."

Hearing the coms go silent once more, Pluto waited, testing the curiosity of the younger Guardians; it was once again rewarded as Angel's voice echoed through, "And the other attunements for Warlock and Titan?"

A tinge of amusement took place in the back of the Exo's mind, "Warlocks trying to attain Arc Light might be killed by the storm itself, and Solar Light for Titans," He then let out a snort, "Solar Light for Titans is near impossible to attain, especially since the knowledge is kept close within the 'faction', and the Sunbreakers are quite keen on keeping their skills a secret." He then paused as Nix let out a click; a sign that they are getting close to their destination, "Furthermore, before you can learn their secrets, you are 'initiated' into the Sunbreakers, not 'mastered' as many would like to believe."

"What do you mean?" It was Carina's voice echoing through the coms; Pluto couldn't help but find her question entertaining.

"You have to gain access to the 'Hammer of Sol', the main weapon and 'power' of the Sunbreakers," The older Exo explained, "and the only way to access it is if you are seen as worthy by the Sunbreakers, which, I have to add, is quite rare, especially since most of those who try to forge their own hammers burn." Pausing once more as Nix let out several clicks to signify their arrival, Pluto then leaned back in his seat, feeling it slide back before he added, "So all those Sunbreaker marks you see back at the Tower, they aren't there for style."

"So, I can guess that it is not easy becoming a Sunbreaker?"

Hearing the curiosity in the female Titan's words, Pluto couldn't help but snicker, "I see someone is interested in attaining the 'Hammer of Sol'."

"N-no, I-"

"Prepare for transmat."

Taking in Nix's words, Pluto heard the female Exo's words suddenly being cut off as the familiar weightlessness of transmat overtook his senses, signaling for him to square out his feet and the flat of his boots take the brunt of the fall, prompting him to heft his scout rifle into his hands. Seconds later, he heard the pair of Guardians land behind him, albeit, he heard heavy footsteps stumble, as if trying to regain balance; from the familiar sound of metal clanking against each other, it was easy to pick out who, "All those months and still not use to transmat?"

"Shut up." Hearing the female Titan's retort, Pluto snickered in response before taking the lead, hearing the steady footsteps of the younger Guardians follow behind him. Then hearing Nix let out a few clicks over his shoulders, Pluto focused onto his optics, letting the flash of the white skim across the black background. Immediately, he can see the familiar debris of broken planes and vehicles swarm into his vision, prompting him to turn slightly to avoid a small edge, and then carefully making his way down.

"You say that you were going to test us, correct?" It was Angel who asked the question, Pluto hearing the Hunter quietly follow his footsteps, "So, what are we doing exactly?"

This prompted Pluto to pause, turn, and focus his blind optics onto the young Guardians, hearing the latter's footfalls come to a sudden halt, "Patrolling."

"Patrolling?" The Exo Hunter sensed the bewildered look from the Hunter, "Just, patrolling?"

Pluto nodded, "Patrolling."

"Nothing special?" The disappointment was apparent in Carina's voice, causing Pluto to clarify, "Nothing."

"So, just patrolling?"

Sighing at the repetitive question, Pluto answered, "Yes, just patrolling." Sensing the confused stares from the younger Guardians, the Exo Hunter then clarified, "I am here to assess your skills, to see if you are capable enough to watch Ianos' back. A simple patrol is the best way to start."

"But," Pluto tilted his head towards Angel's direction, "But we're just newborns. And Ianos is an experienced Guardian. How are we, mere 'dots' of light compared to him, are supposed to watch his back?"

Almost instantly, the blind Exo then heard the human Hunter let out a small 'ow' before grumbling under his breath. Soon after, Nix's scans showed Carina's form with her hands on her hips, no doubt giving Angel a scowl as the latter rubbed his side; Pluto can't help but think that the female Titan was not pleased with the human Guardian's question.

"You are newborns compared to him, that is correct." Pluto sensed the pair turn their attention back towards him, "However, even the most experienced Guardians make mistakes. There will come a day when Ianos will slip and where he will depend on you for his safety." Turning his attention forward, Pluto continued their trek as he added, "And that is why we are here, to see where your skills are currently at and to see if there is room for improvement."

Hearing footsteps catch up to his side behind him, Pluto tilted his head towards his right as he heard Angel state, "So, I am to guess that we are to find any potential threats and to depose of them?" He nodded in response to the younger Hunter's question before Pluto responded, "If you are concerned if anything were to go awry, I will be nearby. Although, threats here are the Fallen and I highly doubt they will be much of a challenge for the two of you."

"Say that to the Archon."

Hearing the murmured statement of Carina, Pluto came to a sudden halt, hearing the skidding footfalls of the newborn behind him to signal their struggle before abruptly turning around, his grip tight on the handle of his scout rifle, "I understand why you are worried about bumping into another Archon." He then frowned behind his visor, "but I assure that we will 'not' be bumping into another one." Pluto then turned and resumed position, hearing the pair follow but with more careful steps, "Higher ranking members of Fallen Houses rarely venture out of their quarters and as such, the reason why Guardians are immediately deployed when one makes themselves." Tilting his head back as if to focus his blind gaze towards Angel and Carina, the Exo Guardian then added, "That is why Zavala sent the three of you, as you are one of the few Fireteams available despite your recent formation." Turning his focus forward, Pluto then let out a scoff, "That is what he had claimed when I questioned him. Although, I do not understand why they also sent in two 'newborns' who were hardly a year resurrected on such a difficult mission."

"We handled it well." Pluto snorted as the female Titan grumbled, "We just had some help from Ianos is all."

Hearing this, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but let out a laugh, hearing the newborns take few startled steps back, "Yes, just 'some' help from an experienced Guardian that just happened to save your life at the last moment."

Hearing Carina further grumble in response, Pluto then heard Angel's nervous laughter follow, signifying the truth in his words. This caused a small smile to flash onto his metallic features although, it faded as Angel's voice piped in, "Speaking of Ianos, I had a question for the Vanguard however, since you know Ianos personally, is it alright if I ask you?"

Staying momentarily silent, Pluto then let out a sigh, "For a Hunter, you ask as many questions as a Warlock." He then slightly tilted his head towards the human Guardian's general direction, "Ask away."

Hearing Angel go quiet, Pluto focused Nix's scans to the back, just in time to see the two newborns turn towards each other and nod; it seems the human Hunter hadn't planned the question out on his own, "The day previous, when you first arrived at the Tower, Ikora, Zavala, and Cayde had mentioned that Ianos' light is 'tainted'." The blind Exo paused at his words, "All I can understand that this 'taint' is the Darkness itself. Is that true?"

Letting the words sink in, Pluto heaved out a sigh, "Although I do not mind your constant questions, Angel, you should also learn that there is a certain 'point' where you should not cross."

"Oh, my apology-"

"There is nothing to apologize for," The blind Exo sensed the bewildered stare he received from the young Hunter, "Normally, I would ignore your question and move on however, since the two of you are to be a part of Ianos' team from now on, it will only be a matter of time until you figure out the truth. But, there is a condition on this piece of information I am going to give you." He felt the pair turn their eyes back onto him, "Promise me that what you will learn will not affect your relationship, positive or negative, once you get better acquainted. He had already lost may allies when the word of his 'taint' had spread. I want to make sure his circle of 'comrades' remain large enough where he can depend on help but, trustworthy enough that they will not stab him in the back later."

Sensing the look of surprise from the pair, Pluto opted to wait, momentarily focusing his attention forward and taking careful steps over rusted debris before Angel's voice responded, "We cannot promise what we will learn of Ianos won't affect our opinion of him." Pluto frowned at this, "But, we will try, if that makes you feel any better."

"Try, huh?" Letting out a snicker, Pluto then added, "Guess that is better than nothing." The smile then faded from his lips, "Years ago, Ianos and his Fireteam of five others were given a mission to head to the moon. Their task was a simple recon; to scout out the surface of the moon and to see if they can locate any Ghosts lost during the Great Disaster. Sounds like a simple patrol, correct?" Receiving only silence from the two newborns, Pluto then hesitated, contemplating on his next words before continuing, "However, only one returned from that fated mission and he had claimed that the others had been killed by the Hive. I, at first, believed his words to be false, until months passed with no answer, no presence of Ianos and, slowly, not only I, but other Guardians who had known him believed his death. That was before he suddenly reappeared, beaten and broken." He then paused, hesitating once more, "By this time, the team member who he had worked with had already, 'passed', and as such, could not give us the answers we needed when Ianos was examined and we found the darkness eating away at his light. His reward for his survival? Constant agony from the darkness and scorn from the rest of the Tower."

Letting his words fade from his lips, the blind Exo then opted to wait as he let the two newborns contemplate, seeing through Nix's scans of them constantly turning towards each other, signaling with their hands as if to silently communicate without Pluto's notice.

"I thought taint from the Darkness was a constant," It was Carina who spoke, "What makes Ianos different from those who are sent to the Medical Wing of the Tower? What makes it that the Vanguard seem, 'fearful', of his presence?"

Pluto let out a bitter chuckle, "Fearful? More like paranoid." His gaze then hardened, "It is true that 'taint' from the Darkness is a constant threat, however, the ones that you have seen in the Medical Wing are injuries related to the Darkness. Taint and injury are two completely different concepts when it comes to us Guardians." Sensing the inquisitiveness from the two newborns, Pluto then continued, "Many Guardians who are corrupted from the Darkness usually die in agony within the next few days although, there are rare few who live through it. For them, there are only two scenarios. One, they will be able to fight it off and live to fight another day."

"And two?"

"They will turn into a vessel of the Darkness." He can easily sense the wide-eyed looks he received from Angel and Carina, "turning on those they had once called allies and live to only spread chaos and hate."

Pausing to let the two younger Guardians take in the information, Pluto tilted his head in Angel's general direction as the human Hunter asked, "Is that why Ianos is called the 'Black Death'?" The blind Exo remained silent, "Because of the Darkness within him?"

Staying silent to ensure that Angel was finished speaking, the Exo Hunter let out what seemed to be a mix of a scoff and a laugh, "If you want an honest answer, that is only 'part' of the reason." He then paused, "Amongst the 'veterans' of the Guardians, Ianos is well known to have been a member of many Fireteams and returning as a lone survivor. This caused many to believe that his presence is a curse and as such, he was called 'Death' during the first several years of the City's existence. 'Black Death' was soon given after word of his condition spread."

"But that is not his fault!" Startled by the female Titan's exclamation, Pluto came to a slow halt and turned around, as if to focus his blind optics onto the younger Exo's form; if she took it as a look of surprise or a threat, the female Titan didn't seem to notice as the older Guardian then heard her add, "Ianos can be a bastard but from what I saw yesterday 'and' just what I have learned, he deserves a chance." He then heard her stomp her food and he can imagine her crossing her arms, "Just because he is tainted by the Darkness doesn't mean he will turn."

Blinking behind his visor, the Exo Hunter kept his blind gaze on the Exo Titan before he let out a light chuckle, sensing the confused stare he received in response, "What's so funny?"

Pausing just long enough to regain enough of his composure, Pluto responded, "Of all the Guardians, you, the one who made it apparent that you hated him from the start, is the one to defend him." He then let out another laugh, uncaring of the bewildered stares from the younger Guardians, "Oh the irony." Shaking his head as if to shake off the amusement oozing off from his shoulders, he continued, "But none the less, I thank you, your words are enough to tell me that you will keep him safe, even if the odds are against you."

"I…what?"

"And you?" Through Nix's scans, Pluto saw Angel jump at his words, "and your thoughts on this?"

Instead of an immediate response, all the Exo Hunter received was silence, the older Guardian easily sensing the hesitation of the younger.

"It is too soon for me to trust Ianos completely." Pluto narrowed his optics at his words, "But he saved our lives, the least I can do is return the favor when the opportunity comes." Taking in the rest of the words of the human Guardian, the Exo Hunter's hardened gaze soften before letting out a small hum, "I will give you credit for honesty."

Seeing Angel fidget through Nix's scans, a tinge of amusement hit the back of the older Exo's mind before a flicker of movement caught his attention; a flicker of white against the black bounded hills of the shore prompted him take careful steps, pausing once the scans showed him standing over the edge of a cliff.

"Nix," He started and immediately, the terrain seems to zoom in, pinpointing the area that caught his attention. From there, he can easily see the form of familiar four armed humanoids, the figures of the Fallen all to recognizable to the older Hunter. Seeing Nix zoom away from the plane debris that they had spotted the group, Pluto then turned his attention back towards the newborns, "Fallen, just over near the wreckage just over those hills." He then turned and crouched, raising a hand to signal the pair to do the same, "Lay low and we'll see how good your shot is from here."

Hearing the footsteps of the human and Exo pair approach from behind, Pluto waited until Nix's scans showed them kneeling, "You two have snipers?"

Immediately, Angel raised his hand and in honesty, the Exo Hunter wasn't too surprised; what Hunter doesn't have at least one ranged weapon? However, as he waited for Carina to do the same, Pluto couldn't help but blink when he received nothing, "Carina? Do you not have a sniper rifle?"

A pause, "No."

"Scout rifle?"

"No."

"Pulse rifle?"

"…No?"

"…Don't tell me all you have is that auto rifle in your hands?"

"No…I do have a shotgun."

Heaving out a sigh at the meager arsenal in the female Titan's person, Pluto instead focused his attention onto the human Hunter, "Angel, you have sight of them?"

Hearing the familiar click of the rifles reload, it didn't take long for the younger Guardian to respond, "Yes."

"Then take the shot."

Seeing Angel nod through the scans, Pluto saw him shift his aim before seeing his finger press against the trigger; only to narrow his gaze when he saw the young Hunter freeze, "Angel, is something the matter?"

At first, gaining nothing but silence as a response, Pluto waited patiently until the human Hunter, started, "I…I am not sure if I can hit them from here."

Immediately suspicion settled into the back of the older Hunter's mind, "I thought you said that you have them in your line of sight."

"I-I did." Angel admitted, "B-but I overestimated myself. I-I can't make the shot from here."

Quiet at the words of the young Guardian, Pluto waved his hand towards Nix, signaling to the Ghost to zoom in once again on the group of Fallen; one Vandal and a group of three Dregs, a standard patrol group. Not much of a threat, especially when he watched the Vandal gesture towards the three Dregs to move ahead, the smaller scavengers easily obeying the command, more than likely knowing the consequences of disobedience. Watching Nix zoom out from the group of Fallen, Pluto turned his attention back towards Angel, watching his fellow Hunter lower his rifle; a sign that he was not willing to take the shot.

Sensing the hesitation from the human Guardian alongside the way he kept glancing back and forth between the group and Pluto, the Exo Hunter jumped as Nix whispered, "You do recall the files, correct?"

At first confused by the words of his Ghost, Pluto let out a silent, 'ah', when the information flooded back over his optics, and it was only then when Angel's actions finally clicked together, "I understand." Backing up a few steps, the blind Exo focused his attention onto the Exo Titan, "Carina, let's scout ahead and find another group."

He then sensed the puzzled look he received from the younger Exo, "What do you mean? There's one right here." She then paused, "And is Angel not coming with us?"

"We will find a group where 'both' of you can show your capabilities." Pluto pushed himself onto his feet and motioned for Carina to follow, "Nix, find another group for us if you will." Hearing his Ghost let out a few clicks in confirmation, Pluto then heard the female Exo let out a grumble but nonetheless heard the familiar movement of metal scraping against dirt. Seeing Carina push herself onto her feet through Nix's scans, this signaled the Exo Hunter to focus his attention onto Angel, "I will give you a moment to recover from your 'nerves', but do not stall behind, understand?"

Sensing the bewildered stare from the human Guardian, Pluto waited until Nix's scans showed Angel let out a nod, a sign for Pluto to heft his scout rifle back in his hands and venture away from the cliff with Carina trailing not too far behind.

Xxxxx

Suspicion dwelled in the back of Angel's mind as his green eyes watched Pluto and Carina fade into the distance; does the blind Exo know?

Pushing the question out of his mind, the human Hunter instead sheathed his sniper onto his back as he pushed himself onto his feet and then leaping from the cliff, summoning light underneath his feet to give the motion of him leaping once in the air before landing softly on the hearth below him. It was then he heads a rumble, causing him to snap his head up towards the source; there, climbing over mounds of dirt and debris, was a Vandal, red cape flittering behind her shoulders as she slowly approached. In any other scenario, other Guardians would have raised their weapon and fired, sending a bullet into the unfortunate Fallen's head. But for Angel, he can easily see her arms close to her side, her shoulders slack and a soft growl rumbling from the back of her throat; in other words, she wasn't a threat.

Waiting until the Vandal closed the distance, the human Hunter let his tense shoulders relax when he recognizes the scar crossing diagonally across her face, starting over her upper right eye and ending down to her lower left; he recognizes the milky color of those blind gaze anywhere, _"Ixrsis, it has been a while."_ He let out a low rumble in addition to his words to signify his pacifism, _"I thought you said that were being sent to the Devil's Lair for guard duty."_

" _Guard duty, yes, but too many bodies, too many targets. They needed more out on patrol, so here I am, to seek danger and then report danger."_ The Vandal clicked, her two working eyes fixating onto Angel's darken visor, " _I sensed several lights, sensed danger. But upon coming closer, I realized one was you, Pure One. Sent the Dregs away to talk. But who are the other lights with you?_

" _They are my friends,"_ Angel responded, earning a tilt of the head from the female Fallen, _"They are helping me learn. Helping me get stronger."_

A pleased nod came from Ixrsis, _"Stronger, always good, yes. Strong enough to kill an Archon."_

Angel froze at the female Eliksni's words, " _News spread already?"_

" _Eliskni already know. It is not hard to spread news of an Archon's death."_ He then heard her let out a few clicks and a rumble; a Fallen equivalent of a chuckle, " _Do not worry, we are not angry. More relieved, Sarixas not well liked amongst the Eliksni, no."_

" _But,"_ Angel hesitated, _"But no Archon means Prime Servitor in danger."_

This earned the Hunter a few clicks from the female Vandal, _"Why we needed more bodies at the Lair, but, like before, too many bodies means too many targets."_ She let out a low rumble, _"Do not mind the patrols. Patrols are easy, less likely of death. Too many lights near Lair. Safer away from home, yes."_

" _Lights?"_ Angel repeated, _"Guardians? Why so close?"_

" _All Archons dead. No one to defend Prime Servitor means easy target."_ Ixrsis let out a low snarl, _"Lights get closer and closer with each passing day. Attack on House inevitable."_

" _Want my help?"_

Immediately, Angel saw the female Vandal's four eyes widen before they narrowed and she crouched, letting her tall form be equal in height to the human Guardian, " _Help would be nice but, your 'friends' will be angry. Not happy that we are friends. Allies. Keep secret, yes?"_

Disappointment filtered into the young Hunter's mind, causing his shoulders to slouch and nod, _"I miss back then. Back when we were young. Where our duties do not conflict with our 'secrecy'."_

Several clicks emitted from Ixrsis in response, " _Back when you were a new light. Back when I was just a simple Dreg."_

Locking his green hues onto her bioluminescent, Angel parted his lips to say more when familiar chittering echoed nearby, causing him to snap his head towards the source.

" _My Dregs are returning."_ The human Hunter turned his focus back onto Ixrsis, " _Quickly, return to your friends before we are discovered."_

Disappointment once again filling up his senses, Angel nodded once before turning his attention towards the cliff leaping once and then once again to grab onto the ledge and pull himself into cover. Seconds later, the familiar chanting of the lower ranking Eliksni rang in his ears, prompting Angel to turn, lie on his stomach and peer over the edge. From his position, he saw Ixrsis' taller form shout out orders to the Dregs, her words stern but gentle before he watched the group disappear into the distance. Waiting until he was in the clear, Angel then pushed himself back onto his feet, brushing off the worst of the dust from his cloak before the familiar white and red form of Hope materialized over his shoulder.

"That was a bit too close for comfort." The female Ghost stated as Angel sensed her green optic fixate onto his, "Although it was nice seein' Ixrsis again. It has been how long since we have last seen her?"

"A couple of months." Angel replied, nodding his head towards Hope before tilting it towards the direction where Pluto and Carina had headed before taking the lead, hearing the familiar hum of the white and red Ghost behind him, "She has gotten bigger the last time we had seen her. At the rate she is going, she might slowly grow into a Captain."

"Pfft, if she wasn't big enough already." Hope laughed, "Although it's amazin', she was the smallest Dreg we had ever seen when we first met her. Now, she is towerin' above you like nothin'."

"Good for her then," Angel turned and gave the female Ghost a smile behind his visor, "Means she is climbing the ranks, life will be a tad bit easier for her." He paused, "Hopefully."

A scoff emitted from Hope, "Less likely of getting killed you mean. The more ether an Eliksni receive, the more powerful they get." She let out a small snort as she added, "Why else do you think they sent the three of you after the Archon? It is no easy task takin' on an Eliskni that powerful. And even then, the three of you were barely able to kill it."

"Ianos did most of the work." Angel muttered, "Otherwise we would be dead." Seeing Hope then lift her parts up and down in a Ghost equivalent to a shrug, the human Hunter just sighed, "Let's just find Pluto and Carina so we can lead them 'away' from Ixrsis' group."

Receiving a nod of confirmation from Hope, Angel then focused on taking the lead as his Ghost materialized back into his armor.

* * *

 _Just for clarification, the italicized quotes are Ixrsis and Angel speaking to each other in Eliksni :D_

 **Added 6/22/2017**

 _It seems I have accidentally deleted this commentary in my previous chapters but I have a head cannon that in order to properly show their connection, Ghost's optic colors match the eye colors of their Guardians Ex: Angel's green, so Hope's eye color is green, or Ianos' eye color is orange so Ace's optic color is orange._


	7. A Challenge

**_Tormented_**

 ** _A Challenge_**

 ** _Edited: 11/9/2017_**

 _Made grammar changes and made the plot align better with future chapters._

* * *

 _Footage File 1-5-2.7_

 _Source: Ghost of Guardian Ianos_

 _Alias: Ace_

 __Initiating data of last known file__

 _(Static fills the screen before it slowly cleared, revealing a Titan moving one of his hands as he spoke.)_

 _K: So, tell me again. Why do you record everything?_

 _I: You can never be too cautious. Sometimes when you look back at the data, you notice small details that you previously had passed over._

 _K: And you always look over them after each mission?_

 _I: Every time._

 _K: Even if the mission is days long?_

 _I: There is such a thing as fast forwarding._

 _K: But still! Imagine how long that will take! Is that what you do all day at the Tower? Just review footage?_

 _I: You can say that._

 _K: Wow, and here I thought you couldn't be more boring._

 _I: Whatever helps pass the time._

 _L: Can the two of you be quiet? We're in Fallen territory._

 _K: (Snorts) Yeah, like they're going to be in one of these dumps. I mean look around, there's nothing but garbage here._

 _L: That's because they are camping on higher ground. We need to climb a couple of more floors before we can take down their base of operations._

 _K: I highly doubt they will be much of a 'threat'. I mean, basing closer to the City when their own numbers are small? Pfeh, highly doubt they will get anything done._

 _L: That does not mean we lower our guard. Even the most experienced Guardians get taken down by the Fallen if they do not tread carefully._

 _K: Whatever, let's just get up there and –_

 _I: Wait, do you hear that?_

 _L: Fallen!_

 _(The image suddenly shifts away from the Guardians and onto a group of Fallen, their screeching cries nearly deafening as the sound of gunfire followed.)_

 _I: There's too many of them! There's too many- (Static fills the screen) Aaaaah-_

 __End of Footage__

 _Name of Fireteam: Vigil_

 _Fireteam Members:_

 _Hunter Lynn -10_

 _Titan Kaye Raith_

 _Warlock Ianos_

 _Fireteam Leader: Hunter Lynn-10_

 _Status: Inactive_

 _Cause: Death of primary members_

 _Status of Guardians:_

 _Hunter Lynn-10: Deceased – Cause: Fallen ambush during patrol_

 _Titan Kaye Raith: Deceased – Cause: Fallen ambush during patrol_

 _Warlock Ianos: Active – Incapacitated – Status: Stationed at the Tower in recovery._

 __File on Fireteam Vigil__

Xxxxx

The first thing Ianos felt was a dull throbbing permeating throughout his chest, prompting him to let out a groan before flickering open his lids, the haziness around his vision clearing enough to see white; a sight that he recognizes too easily.

Raising his hand, the Warlock flexed his fingers several times in order to get feeling back into his fingertips before raising it towards his lips, only to pause when instead his fingers brushed against familiar smooth surface of silicone.

"You're awake!"

Shifting his orange hues over to his side, the Awoken Guardian spotted the familiar orange optic of Ace, seeing the black and orange Ghost twirl their back fins worriedly as they glided just above his chest, "The two newborns were able to bring you back in time before the Darkness did any serious damage to your light." Ace then glanced up and down at Ianos' worn form, "Although, using the Nova didn't really help."

Letting out a grunt in response to his Ghost's words, Ianos instead took in a deep breath, taking in the numbing effects of the anesthetic into his body before placing his hand onto his abdomen, "I have to admit, it did take a lot out of me."

"I remember back when you could cast three Novas in one mission," He watched as Ace shifted their parts closer to their core, "that is, of course, before the 'incident'."

Flinching at the reminder of the mission that corrupted his light, Ianos croaked out, "Did Matt say anything?"

"Only that the corruption has grown stronger."

Turning his gaze towards the entrance of his room, Ianos spotted the familiar white clad form of Matt, watching as the human medic shifted his glasses against his pale features as his brown hues fixed onto the Awoken's, "You have seen better days Ianos, but today is not one of them."

"What do you mean?" It was Ace who asked the question, prompting Matt to approach the side of the bed; Ianos can easily see the concern and worry in the Head Medic's brown gaze, "The gear I gave you indeed slowed down the Darkness from completely consuming your light, but I am afraid it doesn't stop it right in its tracks."

"Let me guess, upon me using my Nova, it quickened the pace of the corruption?" Ianos let out a grunt at Matt's nod, "Not surprised."

"Do not worry though, I believe I have a solution,"

The Awoken blinked at the human's words, "A solution?"

"Well, more like a temporary one," Ianos frowned at this, "I am not completely sure that it will work." The Awoken watched as the Medic place his fingers onto his chin, humming to himself thoughtfully, "It was something I have been working on for a while but I haven't really tested –"

"I will try it."

This caused the Head Medic to come to a sudden stop, his brown eyes blinking as he stared at the Awoken Guardian with wide eyes, "You sure? I am not certain that it will work for you, especially considering how far the corruption has consumed your light."

"Do I have much of a choice?"

Hearing nothing but silence permeate throughout his room, Ianos watched as Matt simply let out a nod before quickly exiting. No sooner had the human Medic left when Ace shifted their orange optic towards the Awoken, "You sure you want to take the treatment? Matt did say that he hadn't tested it, at least to our knowledge."

Turning his tired gaze towards his Ghost, Ianos promptly answered, "Either I take it or the Darkness takes me."

Hearing Ace let out a hum in response, the familiar footsteps of Matt returning prompted the Awoken to turn his gaze towards the entrance, only to see the medic in question entering with a black case in hand. Watching him place the case on a nearby counter, Ianos' interest piqued when he saw Matt opened the case, taking note of the slight glow emitting from its contents before the medic delicately pulled out a syringe, tapping the side before turning his gaze towards the Awoken, "You ready?'

Giving Matt a nod, Ianos waited until he approached, holding out his arm when the medic held out his hand. Setting his wrist in the medic's palm, the familiar pinch of the needle permeated through his arm as the syringe was inserted into his skin, waiting until Matt emptied its contents and removed said tool to flex his fingers.

"Well, do you feel anything?"

Shifting his orange gaze towards Matt, Ianos waited momentarily, only to frown when at first, he felt no different, feeling nothing but the numbness of the drugs being constantly pumped into his system. However, as he parted his lips to answer the medic's question, warmth suddenly spread from his chest, causing Ianos to reel back as the sluggishness left him, feeling his energy rise before he turned his wide eyes towards Matt; he earned a gleeful look as a response.

"I will take that as a yes," The medic beamed, "So my hypothesis was correct, directly injecting light into Guardians rejuvenates them."

"Excuse me?" It was Ace who spoke, the Ghost speaking out the question lingering in the Warlock's mind, "That was Light you just injected into Ianos?"

The pair earned a nod as an answer, "You notice how remnants of light linger after a fellow Guardian utilizes their abilities?" Ianos nodded at Matt's question, "Well, if you wait long enough, these remnants of light turn into motes, a solid personification of left over power. I hypothesized that since it was once part of a Guardian, why not somehow recycle that light? Reuse it to help those who are suffering from the effects of the darkness?"

Silent at Matt's words, Ianos then stated, "You do realize that if Ikora figures out you had been recycling light, she would not be pleased."

"All for the greater good of curing those of corrupted from the Darkness, Ianos," The medic retorted with a smile, "just wait a bit longer, I will find a cure for those whose light are tainted in no time."

Hearing Matt then let out a hum as he walked away, placing the used syringe to the side, Ianos watched as the medic closed the case before he asked, "It seems the life of a medic is growing on you."

The human medic turned to face him, "It's different than being out in the field, but I still save lives, so that's been helping me keep going."

Momentarily silent, Ianos continued to eye Matt, watching the medic walk back and forth in the room, pushing papers to the side or sorting through equipment until finally, the curiosity tugging at the back of the Awoken's mind prompted him to ask, "How does it feel? Losing a Ghost?"

Immediately, Ianos saw Matt come to a sudden halt, the Warlock seeing the human's shoulders go rigid, his hands slowly curling into fists. As nothing but silence loomed in the room, the Awoken Warlock felt a tug of regret settle within his chest, Ianos parting his lips to release an apology.

"It's like a part of you just died," The Warlock paused, "followed by the realization that a single death is all that your enemies needed to end you." He watched Matt turn his gaze towards him, lifting a hand towards his chest as he added, "and then afterwards, a sense of emptiness, a void that will never leave you."

Seeing loss and grief linger in the human's eyes, Ianos then saw a soft smile form onto Matt's pale features before he turned to the black case on the counter, "Here, take these." He walked over to Ace, holding out the item until the Ghost released their light, materializing said case into Ianos' vault, "Take one daily or, if you are out in the field, every time you utilize a large amount of your light. It will keep the corruption in check." He then hummed to himself, "When you run out, come back to me. I will be sure to have more in stock when you come by." The medic then gave him another smile before nodding his head over to Ianos' bedside, "There's set of gear for you when you are ready to go, although had to reconfigure my 'life support' since your old gear was scrapped."

At first, confused by the human Medic's words, Ianos glanced over to his side, only to let out a groan, and in turn, he heard his Ghost let out a shrill laugh; there, folded and hung neatly on a chair, were the familiar emblazoned gear of the Future War Cult, realigned to support the familiar tubes that sustains the Warlock.

"Advertisement!"

"What?" Ianos shifted his attention back to Matt, "What's wrong?"

"Advertisement," Ace chirped, "Do you not see it? The faction gear are nice, yes, but they imprint their insignias and symbols all over their armor to the point where it's not even subtle. Ianos and I call it 'advertisement' thanks to this."

"And you don't like it?"

"I prefer being 'neutral' when it comes to the factions," Ianos muttered, "It is an annoyance running in one Faction's gear only to be berated by the others for not aligning with them. It is an occurrence that I would rather avoid."

"Oh," Matt blinked in understanding, "I thought it was alright to let them in, especially since I see you aiding the Future War Cult more than the others."

Ianos gave the medic a blank look, "Between leaving Earth behind, having a single tyrant as a leader, or preparing for war, which would you prefer?"

Receiving a sheepish smile as an answer, the Awoken Warlock simply shook his head before he asked, "Just tell me when I can leave."

"Now if you like," Matt immediately answered, "I believe three days in bed is enough for rest."

"Three days?" Earning a nod from the medic, Ianos couldn't help but let out a frown before kicking off the sheets, swinging his legs over the side as Ace took in the armor hung on the chair nearby, prompting the Awoken to say, "I will wear the armor for now." He then paused, "But my first stop will be my quarters. I am 'not' walking around as an 'advertisement' any longer than necessary."

Xxxxx

"I thought you said it was just a patrol."

"It was."

"Three days?"

"What? Never had a patrol that long before?"

Frowning as she piloted her ship, Carina retorted, "Patrols are called patrols for a reason! It shouldn't take that long to get in, look around, and get out!"

"Is that how Titan's do it?" Carina reeled back at Pluto's question, followed by Angel's laugh echoing through the coms as the female Titan stuttered out, "W-What's that supposed to mean?"

"He means for us Hunters, Carina, three days is actually a short amount of time."

Immediately, the silver Exo's jaw went slack, her violet optics widening as she gawked out, "Three days!? Short!? What is it with you Hunters and the Wilds!?"

"I don't know? Instinct?" She heard Angel hum through the coms, "It always has been that way, for me anyway."

"It is something we cannot resist, young light," Pluto's voice emitted from the coms, "It is a trait found in all Hunters. Why else do you think Hunters are rarely sighted at the Tower? Our home is out in the Wilds."

Scowling at the coms in hopes that somehow the two Hunters will be able to see her expression, Carina then grumbled out, "What do you guys do all day out there? Just sit and watch Fallen scavenge?"

"Scavenge, live off the land, building bases, hiding caches, scout," Pluto answered, "anything to keep us out in the Wilds."

"Is that why you Hunters are so dirty?" The female Titan muttered as she reached up and picked at the dirt and grime drying on her armor, only to hear Angel let out a laugh in response.

"Maybe," The human Hunter admitted, "Naturally the elements of the land stick to your armor but, it is also great camouflage." Carina couldn't help but let the image of Angel smiling click inside her mind, "Which is why Pluto said not to clean yourself when you slipped and rolled down to hill into the mud below."

Hearing the young Hunter chuckle, Carina let out a pout, "Well, screw you guys and your so called 'camouflage'." She straightened herself out," As soon as we land in the Tower, I am going ahead and getting a nice clean up."

"Same here," Angel's voice piped in, "Although, it's not like I want to. I like the smell of the Wilds on me."

Carina raised a brow at this, "Then why?"

"Do you want to hang out with a Hunter that smells?"

"Uh, no."

"Exactly."

Letting a tinge of amusement settle into her chest in response to his words, this was quickly quashed as Angel added, "Anyway, I want to visit Ianos, and I highly doubt he will appreciate the smell of the wilds."

"Wait," Carina leaned in, "You are going to visit him?"

"Of course," Angel confirmed, "it is the least I can do since he saved our lives."

"If that is the case, I am coming as well," Pluto's voice piped in from the coms, "It has been a while since I have last seen him. It would be nice to catch up."

Hesitating as she listened to the two Hunters converse, Carina quietly debated with herself. Should she visit the Warlock as well? At first, she thought it would be a simple task, to simply walk in, check up on the Awoken to ensure he was stable before leaving. However, this was soon joined by his words, how easily he snapped at the pair during the mission, brushing them off whenever things seemed dire. Gritting her jaw at this, the memory of him then saving their lives settled in, Carina taking in the fact that he placed his life in jeopardy to ensure that she and Angel returned to the Tower safe. But, would he appreciate the visit, or would he simply brush them away, just like during their short time together?

Contemplating, Carina heaved out a sigh of defeat, "I am coming as well. Like you have said, Angel, it is the least we can do since he saved our lives."

"So, it's a plan then?" Angel beamed, "then let's get cleaned up and head off to see Ianos once we reach the Tower."

"Prepare for transmat," Hearing Nix's voice echo through the coms, Carina released her hold on the controls before leaning back in her seat, giving herself plenty of room before her vision filled with white followed by the sudden sensation of weightlessness. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, Carina found the familiar bustling imagery of the Plaza enter her vision, signaling to her to square out her feet and take a few stumbling steps forward to stabilize herself. She then turned around just in time to see Angel materialize into view, the human Hunter nearly tripping over his feet as his ship disappeared around the corner of the Tower.

Rolling her shoulders as the numbing effects of the transmat faded, Carina then took note of Pluto's missing presence, prompting her to glance around until she spotted the dark clad Hunter taking slow strides towards the pillars stationed in the middle of the Plaza, causing her to turn and give Angel a puzzled look. Receiving the same look from the human Hunter in turn, the female Titan took it as a sign to follow Pluto, coming to a slow pause as the Exo Hunter stood in front of a marble pillar, tracing his fingers over the surface.

"When you gain years under your belt, newborns come to believe that it means you have skill," Carina shifted her attention onto Pluto's back, hearing the Hunter continue, "that you have talent and strength to push back and defeat those who threaten the light." She then heard him let out a snort, "Most of the time, yes, that is true, however, during those years, you form bonds. Friends, family," He paused, "lovers, many of which do not make it alongside you." Watching the Exo Hunter take a step back, Carina blinked when he dipped his head before he lifted it up, "I remember there was only one memorial when I left, but, there is at least three now, isn't there?'

Silent at Pluto's words, Carina shifted her violet optics to Angel, the latter of which gave the female Titan an empathetic look; a sad chuckle then can be heard from the older Hunter, "Let's just get ourselves clean to visit Ianos, shall we? I want to inform him that I trust you two to stay on his team myself."

The female Exo perked up at this, "Wait, so we passed then?"

"Hardly, but, acceptable results."

Carina deflated , narrowing her violet optics at the Exo Hunter's back, "Picky."

Hearing Angel let out a laugh at this, the Exo Titan rolled her optics before she spotted Pluto turning and heading towards the apartments, prompting Carina to do the same.

"Pluto?'

Tuning in onto the familiar voice, Carina turned around as a Warlock walked over, the familiar symbol of the Future War Cult emblazoned onto the armor pieces all too recognizable to the young Titan. Although, the same can't be said for the Warlock himself.

"Ianos?"

Optics going wide, Carina glanced back and forth between the Hunter and Warlock with a slack jaw, barely catching the viridian shell of Nix gliding over and beaming a trial of light over the Awoken Warlock; this soon was followed by an amused Pluto, "Why are you wearing advertisement?"

"Shut up," Carina spotted Ianos' Ghost laugh over his shoulder, "It's been 'years' since we have last seen each other and the first think you can think of is – you two are blind."

"What!?" The female Exo couldn't help but let out a snicker as Ace's 'smile' quickly shifted to one of shock, "What happened!?"

Seeing Nix glide over as Ianos held out his hands, Carina watched with slight interest as the Awoken curled his fingers over the viridian Ghost's shell, brushing them over Nix's cracked optic as the latter answered, "Got unlucky with the Fallen, was trying to open a door for Pluto when one in stealth snuck past him when he was defending me."

Catching movement from the corner of her vision, the female Titan momentarily glanced over as Angel took cautious steps closer, curiosity easily seen in his green eyes, "Is there no way to heal a Ghost?'

Silence immediately followed after the human Hunter's question, Carina immediately seeing his face flush as he took timid steps back, lowering his gaze to the floor.

"No," Pluto finally broke the silence, "Us Guardians, we have our Ghosts to heal us or in severe cases, revive us if they are connected to the light." The Exo Hunter then held out his hand, signaling to Nix to gently pry himself out of Ianos' fingers and into his Guardian's own, "For Ghosts, however, they have nothing. If they are injured, there is nothing we can do."

"What about other Ghosts?" Carina shifted her attention towards Angel, "Can they not heal them?"

"No," The female Exo's optics widen at his, surprised at her own sudden answer as she then found all eyes on her.

"And you know this how?"

Scanning the faces of the surrounding Guardians, Carina couldn't help but fidget in place, debating quietly in her mind before letting out a sigh, and held out her palm. Immediately, the familiar warmth of her Ghost materializing onto her hand ran through the length of her arm, followed by a soft whistle as he shook his green and violet shell. At first, all things seemed normal with the Ghost, the shell held little to no marks, and his optic was a sheen color of violet, much like Carina's own, with only one exception.

"It's tiny!" Glowering at Angel, Carina then reeled back as the Hunter summoned his own Ghost, holding out the white and red shell of Hope as he held her next to hers for comparison, the female Ghost easily dwarfing the other.

"Hey!" Carina protectively brought her Ghost close to her chest, "Spears is sensitive about that."

"Spears?" Turning her attention to the Awoken Warlock, the female Titan held out the Ghost in question long enough to point out the thorn-like protrusions on the corners of his shell; she heard Ianos let out a soft hum in response.

"How small is he exactly?" Hesitating at Pluto's question, Carina reluctantly held out Spears as Nix glided over, beaming his light over the smaller Ghost's form, "…he's half the size of you, Nix."

"Stop that!" The female Exo glared at the others as she let her Ghost glide from her fingers, watching him twirl around out, giving silent greetings, "I just told you, he's sensitive about that."

"We heard." Giving Ianos a frown in response to his words, Carina then blinked when the Awoken held out his hand, only to reel back as Spears gladly landed into his palm, letting out a shrill whistle as the Warlock reached under with his free hand and tickled his core, watching her Ghost shift upwards in response, "you brought him out, but, that does not answer our question."

Hesitating once again, Carina shifted her optics back and forth between the Guardians before releasing another sigh, prompting her to hold out her hand. Immediately, Spears turned and glided back to her, settling into her palm, "Spears, would you like to say hello?"

Seeing his parts shift upwards in response to her question, Carina then watched as Spears turned his focus onto the others, his beeps and whistles all too recognizable. However, the longer he continued, the more Carina can see the look of confusion harden on her comrade's gaze, Ianos the one to turn his eyes onto hers when Spears finally came to a pause, "He cannot speak?"

"Well, yes," She then paused, "then no." Carina sensed the bewildered stares she received from the others, "I can understand him, and so can other Ghosts, other Guardians well…" Her voice faded, seeing the questioning looks in her team's gaze, "It happened before he resurrected me." She brought Spears close to her chest, feeling him cuddle close, "During his search, he lowered his guard while scanning around for potential light. A Fallen attacked him, damaging his voice modulator, but, he made it out alive." Feeling Spears leave her hand, Carina momentarily watch him glide around the group before she added, "When I heard what happened to him, I attempted to find a way to fix him. Even asked the Vanguard to personally use their Ghosts in an attempt to heal him." She then shook her head, "Nothing worked."

"Protect your Ghosts with your lives." Carina fixed her attention onto Ianos, "That was one of the few things I remember from my time as a newborn." He shook his head, "The Risen were quite serious about it."

"Wait, Risen?" The female Exo shifted her optics onto Angel, the Hunter's gaze wide, "How old are you?!"

At first, confused by the human Hunter's question, Carina's optics widen as it finally clicked; Ianos had said 'Risen'. In other words, he was resurrected around the time of the Dark Ages. Turning a wide gaze towards the Awoken Warlock, Carina watched as Ianos let out a shrug at Angel's words and parted his lips to answer.

"Black Death!"

Jumping as a new voice permeated from the crowd, Carina turned her optics towards the source, immediately spotting two robed figures heading their way. One of them, a female human with light brown hair barely passing her ears, held rage clear in her aqua hues with her shoulders tense, her arms swinging hard enough that her red coat billowed from the movement. Her companion, a dark green Exo with lime green lights, seemed almost nervous, struggling to keep up with the red clad female as his own green coat shifted around him.

"Shit," Carina turned and gave Ianos a bewildered look, seeing him scoot slowly behind Pluto; in turn, the Exo Hunter let out a small hum, "That sounds like Neve."

"It is."

Then, before Carina can even comprehend his words, Ianos leaped behind Pluto, and the female Exo gawked as the female Warlock ran up and swung her arm forward, hearing an audible 'clang' as her fist came into contact with Pluto's face. Watching the older Exo stumble back from the blow, the silver Exo turned her wide optics towards the female Warlock, only to see the latter's gaze holding the same shocked expression.

"Ooooh," It was Hope who spoke, "That's going to leave a mark."

Shifting her attention back onto Pluto, Carina watched as the Exo Hunter straightened out his posture, reaching up with a hand as he curled his fingers under his jaw, only to wince as he snapped it back into place.

"You just punched the Executioner," The Exo Titan turned her gaze onto the green clad Exo, the latter of which placed a hand onto the female Warlock's shoulder, shaking it slightly as he repeated, "You just punched the Executioner!"

"I was aiming for Black Death!" The female Warlock brushed her companion's arm from her shoulder before turning her aqua hues over Pluto's and glowered, "Come out and face me like a real Guardian."

"No," Ianos deadpanned, "I have known you long enough that although you are a Warlock, your punches hits like a Titan's."

"Fuck, no kidding," Pluto finally spoke, Carina watching him flex his jaw several times, hearing it click before finally, it settled back into place, "and why the fuck are you trying to punch Ianos, Neve?"

"Who wouldn't?!" The female Exo blinked at Neve's outburst, "He shouldn't even be allowed here! That taint in his light! He's a risk to us all!"

"Neve," Her comrade placed a hand onto her shoulder, only for it to be brushed off once more, "There is no need to be so brash."

"Brash!?" Carina watched as the Exo shrank back, "I have every right to be! He caused the deaths of hundreds of Guardians!" Neve then turned her attention back to Ianos, "Come out and face me, Black Death! Come out and face your sins!"

"Neve."

"What!?" Neve shifted her attention to Pluto, "You know what he did to me, Pluto! I deserve this!"

"Let us talk," The Exo Hunter's tone of voice was calm, even, although, this didn't stop Nix from hovering near his shoulder, his light constantly streaming; a sign that he was recording, "There is no need to act violent about this."

"Why not!?" Carina jumped at Neve's roar, the latter of which jabbed a finger at Ianos' form, "It was his fault! His fault that I lost both my husband and child!" Carina's jaw dropped at this, "Let me handle this Pluto. I can end his 'curse' once and for all."

Turning her shocked gaze towards Pluto, the female Exo sensed the blind Exo hesitate, bringing his hands together to his chest.

"I didn't mean for it to happen."

It was subtle, but it was definitely Ianos, Carina turning her violet optics to the Warlock as she watched the latter press his face into Pluto's shoulder, seeing his shoulders tense as he gripped the edges of Pluto's cloak tightly in his grasp. Bewildered by this, the Exo Titan waited silently, hearing the Exo Hunter respond afterwards.

"No, I won't let you," Neve reeled back, "As long as I am around, he is under my protection."

Anger instantly formed in Neve's aqua hues, "Why you traitorous machine –"

"I promised Neptune-88," The female Warlock immediately went silent, "I promised him I would take care of our 'Little Light', right before he, passed." Carina then saw the Awoken Warlock freeze, hearing him taking in a deep breath; Pluto continued, "I intend to keep that promise." A glare can be felt behind his blindfold, "I am going to ensure his safety, whether he likes it or not."

"Even against old friends?"

A momentary pause, "Even against old friends."

Seeing Neve grit her teeth, Carina thought it was a victory, a smile forming onto her metallic features, only for it to instantly drop as the female Warlock stated, "Fine then, we'll settle this differently." She placed her hands onto her waist," Next week from now, my Fireteam and I are preparing for a Crucible run." Neve walked up and pressed a finger against Pluto's chest, "I challenge you and your Fireteam to a match. Clash."

Silence permeated between the two, "You know we can't do that Neve."

"Oh, you will," A sense of unease settled into Carina's chest as Neve let out a smirk, "Otherwise, I 'will' get my compensation for the death of my husband and child. No. Matter. What."

"What do we get out of this?" Pluto crossed his arms, "What happens if we win?"

"I will leave Black Death alone," Neve answered, "But, if I win, I get to end his 'curse'."

"No."

"Then, I will hunt him down."

Optics widening at her response, Carina heard Pluto growl, "I won't let that happen."

He received a snort as a response, "Oh, you will. I am not the only one out to get him." Neve nodded her head towards Ianos, "It is time to end his curse, and my fireteam aren't the only ones who agree with me." A knowing smile formed onto her fair features, "Who knows, Black Death may get himself into a bad 'accident'."

"Why you-"

"So, a deal?"

Shifting her violet optics back and forth between Pluto and Neve, Carina's gaze widens further when a sigh permeated from the blind Hunter, "Do we have much of a choice?"

Seeing a triumphant smile form onto Neve's face, the female Exo couldn't help but let a sense of anger form in the pit of her stomach as the female Warlock finished, "See you next week then." Then, without another word, she sauntered off, quickly disappearing in the crowd

Wanting nothing more than to follow Neve and swing a fist into the female Human's smug face, the only thing that caused Carina to come to a pause is when she saw the female Warlock's Exo comrade's jaw drop, his mouth hanging open as his lime green optics followed Neve's form.

"Did she just challenge you?" The female Titan raised a metallic brow at her fellow Exo's words, seeing him turn his wide optics towards Pluto, "Did she just challenge you? The Executioner?"

Reeling back at the Exo Warlock's words, Carina turned her violet optics towards the older Exo, only to see him let out an amused chuckle, "Scared kid?"

"Who wouldn't be!?" The green Exo cried, "You are just not notorious for your executions on Guardians who literately went dark, you are also known for your merciless kills in the Crucible! You shoot down every Guardian with your arsenal of weaponry without hesitation!" Carina then watched him placed his hands onto his head, "Why did she do that? She knows better than to challenge someone such as yourself."

"She got caught up in the moment, kid."

"Spirit, Spirit-9," The Exo Warlock muttered, "She really needs to control her temper." Carina heard him let out a sigh, "Neve always has a habit of bringing us into trouble."

"And yet, she's the leader of your Fireteam."

Seeing Spirit give Pluto a sheepish smile at his words, Carina then watched him shrug, "Well, what are families for? Have to deal with each other whether we like it or not." He then let out another sigh, "Guess that means I will have to face you in the Crucible, whether I like it or not."

Hearing a laugh permeate from the older Exo, the female Titan couldn't help but snap her attention back to Pluto, seeing a smirk form onto the Exo Hunter's features, "Then I'll have to advise you to chase after Neve. You and your Fireteam are going to need a lot of practice to take on the likes of me."

A snort can be heard emitting from Spirit, "I will remember that." Then, to Carina's surprise, the Exo Warlock bowed, staying long enough to say, "I may fear you in the Crucible, Pluto. However, I respect you more." And then he was gone, slowly disappearing into the crowd, leaving the group in silence.

"Well," Carina heard Angel let out a cough, "That was interesting."

Hearing Pluto sigh at the younger Hunter's words, Carina turned in time to hear the Hunter start, "Ianos-"

"I could have handled it on my own." The female Exo frowned at the Awoken Warlock's words, "There wasn't a need for you to get involved."

"Oh really?" It wasn't hard to hear a tinge of amusement and annoyance linger in Pluto's words, "From the way you hid behind my shoulder, I thought you needed a little help."

Snickering at the frown emitting behind Ianos' visor, Carina paused at his next words, "It would have been simple if you just had let Neve kill me. Ace is easily capable of resurrecting me."

"You know as well as I do that she is not just going to kill 'you', Ianos." The Exo Titan took in Pluto's words, slowly piecing it together as the latter added, "She is going to go after Ace to ensure you 'stay' dead, and although I know that you are fully capable of taking care of yourself, I have a promise to keep that involves your safety, and I intend to keep it, with or without your consent."

Watching Pluto take steps closer to the Awoken Warlock, Carina took note of the sudden shift of emotion emanating from Ianos, the anger slowly dissipating and being replaced with an air of remorse, "It is true then? Neptune, he…"

Hearing Ianos' voice fade, Carina shifted her violet optics over to Pluto, only to see the latter unclip the arc infused bond from his arm and held it out towards the Awoken Warlock, "He always said he wanted to teach you how to be a Stormcaller." Bewilderment settled into the female Titan's mind as Ianos took the bond from the Hunter's grasp, noticing the tenderness and care, "He just never had the time to ask."

Taking in the sight of Ianos unclipping the current bond from his shoulder and slowly clip the Arc bond in placement of it, Carina narrowed her optics in thought, especially when she noticed the trembling emitting from the Awoken's fingers and the way his breathing had paused, as if struggling to breathe. Confused by this, the female Titan turned her attention towards Angel, seeing the Hunter fidget in place before taking slow and subtle steps back.

"Oh no, you two stay here."

Snapping her attention back towards Pluto, Carina witnesses the older Exo approach them, "Since Ianos and I have been challenged by Neve and she is bringing her Fireteam into this, I am getting you two involved as well."

No sooner had the Exo Hunter finished speaking when the female Titan's optics lit up, an excited squeal escaping her lips; having formed a grudge against the female Warlock, Carina couldn't help but let a tinge of excitement permeate throughout her body. She can actually punch Neve without getting in trouble.

Angel didn't hold the same sentiment, "U-Us? B-but-"

Unable to hold her excitement, a whoop escaped Carina as she cut in, "Crucible time! Time to run around, and fight against other Guardians with a shotgun in hand!"

"I never stepped into the Crucible!" The female Titan turned and blinked at Angel, just in time to see the Hunter frantically glance back and forth between herself and Pluto, "How am I supposed to be any use of you if I do not have any experience!?"

"We'll fix that." Carina closed her mouth as she turned to see Pluto smirk, "The match is next week. Plenty of time to drag you into the Crucible and get you warmed up."

"B-But…"

Chuckling as the Exo Hunter reached out and simply patted Angel on the shoulder, Carina then turned her attention towards Ianos, seeing the latter turn his arm, as if to admire the new bond flickering around his limb, before watching him flex his hand, only to jump when his hidden gaze snapped towards her, sensing the frown once again emanating behind his visor. Half-expecting the Awoken Warlock to snap her way, Carina instead was surprised to see his attention turn towards Pluto, "You speak as if it is going to be easy, Pluto."

Carina frowned, "If you are saying that Angel and I are going to hold you back-"

"If I may finish," The female Exo glared at the Warlock, only for her anger to simmer down at his next words, "You know as well as I do, Pluto, that I took up a vow of never taking the life of a fellow Guardian."

"Oh, right," Carina heard the older Exo let out a hum, "Well, you do have a good shot." She watched as his blind gaze turned back towards Ianos, "Aim for the legs, or aim anywhere to distract them while the newborns and I go for the kill."

"We're not newborns," The female Titan pouted, crossing her arms while she heard the familiar whistle of Spears' laugh linger in her sensors, "Angel and I can handle ourselves perfectly fine."

Feeling Ianos' gaze on her, Carina gave him a glower as she easily sensed the doubtful look emit from his visor, "Right." She then watched the Awoken turn his focus towards Pluto, "Clash is a match of six versus six, we still have to look for two others to participate in Neve's 'challenge'."

A pause from the Exo Hunter, the latter of which place a finger onto his chin as he let out another hum, "Well, we do have a week, long enough to look for other Guardians to join our team, however…" He then shrugged, "We have to be quick, we need time to learn each other's movements and how to work together as a team when we take on Neve and her Fireteam." He shifted his blind gaze towards Ianos, "And to find individuals that won't stab us in the back."

Carina immediately reeled back at his words, "Wait, I understand that Ianos is an unlikeable guy, but, he can't be 'that hated'."

Silence loomed between the group of Guardians, causing the female Exo to glance between the older Warlock and Hunter, "Right?"

Her question left unanswered, Carina then heard Angel ask the question that lingered in her mind, "Does this have to do with Ianos' 'darkness'?"

That is when Carina sensed hesitation from the Exo Hunter, watching him momentarily turn his blind gaze towards Ianos before he answered, "Yes, however, there is a small group that believes Ianos is innocent."

The female Titan reeled back at his words, "Innocent?"

"I recall several Guardians who took his side," Pluto continued on, as if he had not heard Carina's single worded question, "I wonder if they are still alive."

"Innocent of what?" It was Angel who asked the question, however, Pluto once again rambled on, "There is Andal Brask. Wait, no, he's dead."

"Pluto?" Carina called.

"Maybe I should contact Akiva?"

"Pluto?"

"Or maybe Zen-13? Terra perhaps?"

"Pluto!"

"What!?" The Exo Hunter finally snapped his attention to the younger Exo, Carina easily hearing the annoyance in his tone, "Ianos was innocent of what?"

Once again, Carina sensed hesitation flash over the older Exo, seeing him turn his gaze towards Ianos. Trailing his blind gaze, the female Titan paused upon Ianos, watching the latter give a subtle shake of the head; Carina didn't have to verbally ask to know that she won't gain an answer. Scowling at this realization, the female Titan simply crossed her arms as Ianos spoke, "I recommend Akiva, despite his 'disappearance' on Mars, the others you have stated were classified as KIA."

Seeing Pluto turn his empty gaze towards Ianos, Carina heard him let out a soft hum, "I have been away that long?" A nod from the Warlock, "If Akiva indeed 'disappeared', then I will easily be able to track him. Won't be too difficult." The older Exo then turned his attention towards Carina and Angel, "You two, practice with Ianos in the Crucible, learn each other's moves and skills so you can adapt and assist each other."

"Wait," Angel immediately jumped in, "What about you?"

No sooner had the young Hunter finished speaking when Carina sensed a bit of mirth emitting from the Exo Hunter, and although she cannot see his optics, the young Titan cannot help but imagine a twinkle in his gaze, "Did you not hear what Spirit just said? I have enough Crucible experience. In other words, I can just adapt." A smirk permeated from Pluto, "Just practice, at least once so you can witness each other's skills. I will return within a couple of days, if not, well, I will just drag the three of you in there myself." Flashing the group one final smile, Pluto then turned and headed off towards the direction of the Hangar, Carina spotting Nix's viridian form gliding after him.

Waiting until the dark clad Hunter's form disappeared into the crowd, the female Titan then turned and chirped, "So, when do you want to practice in the Crucible?"

Immediately sensing the frown from the Awoken Warlock, Carina paid no heed to it, and instead, let her mind wander over to the future clash with Neve and her Fireteam. She was jittery, excited to say the least; finally, an experienced match with set up team instead of random jumble of newborns forced into a group. The female Titan tapped her fingers together in eagerness, ignoring the bewildered look she earned from her Ghost; she is going to show to everyone just how well she can handle herself in the Crucible.

A sigh from Ianos broke Carina out of her thoughts, "Perhaps now, if it is the best time for you two." She watched the Warlock cross his arms, "Let us meet at the Hangar in thirty so we can prepare for the Crucible."

"Uh," The female Titan took notice of Angel's nervousness, easily from the way he wrung his hands together, "Speaking of the Hangar, there's something we need to tell you about your ship."

At first, bewildered by the words of the young Hunter, it suddenly clicked within Carina's mind when Ianos went silent, the Awoken's next words a blank, "What about my ship?"

"Well," The Exo Titan watched Angel fidget once more, "When we were returning from that patrol, it sort of –"

"It is a hunk of junk," Carina ignored the human Hunter's flabbergasted look, "and it's not going to fly anymore."

"Carina!"

Once again ignoring the young Hunter, the Exo Titan scanned her gaze over Ianos' visor, attempting to read or sense 'anything' that permeated from the Warlock. All she can take in, was silence.

"Ianos?" It was Angel who broke the stillness in the air, the young Hunter taking tentative steps forward as the two waited for an answer.

"…You two owe me a new ship."


	8. The Wahl Twins

**_Tormented_**

 ** _The Wahl Twins_**

 ** _Edit: 2/4/2018_**

 _Fixed grammar mistakes, got rid of excess text, and realigned some parts to fit with the later chapters_

* * *

 _Footage File 7-0-6.6_

 _Source: Ghost of Guardian Ianos_

 _Alias: Ace_

 __Initiating data of last known file__

 _(Static fills the screen before it slowly cleared to reveal a Warlock clad in violet and a Titan clad in blue walking.)_

 _R: Our first mission on the moon, what do you think, Neve?_

 _N: Colorless but, interesting._

 _R: How about you Ianos?_

 _I: … Not much to say, with the exception that we have to be careful. Fallen and Hive prowl the surface of the moon._

 _R: I take it this isn't your first time here?_

 _I: …_

 _R: Did… I say something wrong?_

 _I: No, it is just a difficult topic to speak of… the Great Disaster._

 _N: Wait, you were there!? You were there during the attempted reclamation of the moon!?_

 _I: Why do you think I was hesitant on coming here? Too many memories… too many deaths…_

 _R: You should have just told us. We would have considered your feelings into this._

 _I: I was only assigned as a bodyguard, not as a member of this team._

 _R: Didn't notice the difference (laughs). You were nearly part of our group for nearly half a year now. That's plenty of time to be considered part of our team. What do you think, Neve?_

 _N: I completely agree._

 _I: It is not official._

 _R: Then let's make it official! Once we finish clearing out this area, let us head back to the Vanguard and request for you to join our team. What do you say, Ianos?_

 _I: … I, don't know what to say._

 _N: (Chuckles) Say yes, Ricard won't take no as an answer._

 _I: (Whispers) It is worth another try…_

 _N: Excuse me?_

 _I: It's nothing, just deliberated with myself and… I will join your Fireteam._

 _R: Great!_

 _(It then showed the Titan slowing down his pace, just enough so that they were near the sides. The Titan then reached out and gave Ianos a slap on the back, causing him to let out a grunt._

 _R: Welcome to Fireteam Dawn, Ianos!_

 __ End of Footage__

 _Name of Fireteam: Dawn_

 _Fireteam Members:_

 _Titan Ricard_

 _Warlock Neve_

 _Warlock Ianos_

 _Fireteam Leader: Titan Ricard_

 _Status: Inactive_

 _Cause: Death of Fireteam Leader and infighting_

 _Status of Guardians:_

 _Titan Ricard: Deceased – Cause: Descent into the Hellmouth, Ghost recovered. Light drained._

 _Warlock Neve: Active – Status: Active Duty – Assigned to another Fireteam_

 _Warlock Ianos: Active – Status: Active Duty – Patrols the Sol System. Left Fireteam Dawn. Currently solitary._

 __File on Fireteam Dawn__

 _Xxxxx_

"You know, although Ianos can be a dick at times and very adamant about 'not' killing a Guardian in the Crucible, he's actually pretty good."

 _{"Focus on the game, Carina."}_

"Sorry."

Hearing Spears chitter and click inside her helmet, Carina dashed down the stairs, shotgun in hand as the flashing red light on her radar solidified, signifying that her opponent was now on the same floor. Timing her run just right, the copper clad Titan twisted around the corner and fired. Almost immediately, a surprised cry entered her sensors, signaling to Carina to pump her shotgun and fire. Watching the body of the unfortunate Guardian fly back in response, Carina then let out a smile as the familiar form of their Ghost materialized over their body followed by another 100 points being added to her tally. Taking it as a sign to start running again, the female Exo kept her optic on her radar before white noise filtered into her helmet.

"I need some help!"

"Angel?" Carina slowed to a brisk walk as the Hunter added, "Two of them trapped me in a room! I broke the controls to the doors, but they are 'very' determined to get in!"

"Pfft, they want that kill eh?"

"Shut up."

Letting out a laugh at Angel's words, Carina then asked, "Where are you?"

"Uh, near the front, the room to the right of the entrance."

 _{"Got it. Location is marked on your radar."}_

As if on cue, a small portion of the circular radar started blinking white, leading the female Exo down the hallway just to the right of her. Giving her Ghost a nod of thanks, Carina then started dashing down the hall, her feet echoing through the empty room as they contacted the metallic floors.

"Alright, Spears marked your location through your frequency. I am on my way."

"I don't understand how you can understand your Ghost but hurry, that Titan is literately punching his way through –"

A loud crash then echoed through her coms, startling the Exo Titan as she heard the Hunter let out a yelp followed by rapid gunfire.

"Fuck you!"

Hearing Angel curse through the coms, Carina then heard one final gunshot follow his words and instantly, the text 'Uro killed Angel' flashed onto her visor, causing the Exo to take in a sharp breath.

"Oooh, ouch," She commented before she sheathed her shotgun onto her back and hefted her auto rifle into her hands, checking her visor once more to ensure that it was fully loaded before asking, "Any chance we can avenge him, Spears?"

 _{"Well, counting on the weapons you are wielding, alongside your accuracy percentage, and the fact that there are two Guardians near where Angel was killed, I say… very unlikely."}_

"Thanks for the voice of confidence, Spears."

Slowing down to a walk, Carina held her weapon at ready as a red arc started flashing on her radar, pressing her back against the wall and slowly edged her way towards the entrance, blinking when she saw the remnants of the door spark from its exposed wires.

"That Hunter wasn't very good, was he?"

"Locking himself into a room, then screaming like a dreg when we got in? What do you think?"

"Pfft, makes me wonder about the rest of his team."

Hearing the two Guardians talk to each other nonchalantly, Carian whispered, "Are they underestimating us?"

 _{"Sounds like it."}_

Letting a smile form onto her metallic features, Carina then crouched down and held out her hand, the familiar sparks of arc energy solidifying in her grip, "Then let us prove them wrong."

With that, the Exo Titan pounced into the room and tossed the grenade. Almost immediately, as the grenade landed near the feet of the two Guardians – a Warlock and a Titan – it detonated, releasing an explosion of bright azure into the room. Temporarily blinded by her own grenade, Carina took a leap back as the grenade released another burst of arc energy, pausing against as the grenade released another, and another. Hearing a scream echo through the room, Carina pointed her weapon into the room as the words, 'Carina-23 killed Arianne' flashed onto her visor.

 _{"You know, making that grenade burst arc energy continuously sounded like a good idea, until you can't see what is inside the room."}_

Smiling nervously behind her visor, Carina glanced up at her radar only to frown when she still saw a flashing red arc on her screen, causing her to tense up as her grenade final dissipated only to find the room empty.

"Where did he...?"

It was then she caught movement from the corner of her gaze, causing her to turn to her left only to feel an impact slam into her chest as the familiar ringing of her shields shattering echoed in her auditory sensors. Letting out a scream as the remaining pellets from a shotgun penetrated into her armor, Carina then released a groan as she fell backwards onto her back, curling onto her side and wrapping her arms around her chest. The bullets may not have broken her armor to cause bleeding, but the impact still hurt like hell.

"That was cheap," She heard the Titan grumble, prompting her to glance up in time to see him walk over, a shotgun in hand, "Trying to take us down when we were distracted." Carina then heard him release a scoff, "I give you props for trying, but, before you throw a grenade into a room, make sure that all entrances are blocked beforehand."

The female Exo blinked, "You, broke through another door?"

A snort was her answer, "How else do you think I got into the room to kill your teammate? Those doors aren't exactly sturdy." The Titan then nodded his head towards the rusting walls, "Recently reclaimed, but leave a place abandoned long enough, it's going to rot."

She then watched as he aimed the barrel of his weapon towards her, "But enough talk, let's get this match over with."

Propping herself onto her hands, Carina, at first, took in a breath, preparing herself for the killing shot. However, she then glanced over to her radar, and the intensity in her shoulders died when she spotted a familiar flash of blue. This prompted her to lift her gaze and with a grin, state, "Don't get so cocky yet."

No sooner had the words left her lips when a single shot rang through the air, followed by the Titan letting out a scream as he staggered, Carina hearing the familiar sound of shields breaking. Taking her chance, the Exo Titan then leaped up, curling one of her hands into a fist as she concentrated arc energy into it, and then, thrusted it upwards into the Titan's face. Feeling her first come into contact with the Titan's jaw, she then felt the energy surge forward, impacting into her opponent before it exploded, and Carina was met with the familiar blue light of the Titan disintegrating. Taking steps back, the female Exo release a sigh of relief when the familiar form of a Ghost materialized into view followed by the text, 'Carina-23 killed Uro' flashing onto her visor.

"You alright?"

Hearing Ianos' voice echo through the coms, Carina responded, "Yeah, a bit sore though." She then placed a hand over her chest, waiting for Spears to finish his work and replenishing her shields as the Warlock continued, "I tried to pinpoint Angel's location but, arrived too late when I heard him screaming through the coms."

"I'm just glad that you were able to save Carina in time."

Perking up at the familiar voice of the human Hunter clicking into the coms, the female Exo chirped, "Oh! Welcome to the land of the living, Angel!"

"Guess so, after taking a point-blank shot by a shotgun to the chest," She heard Angel release a groan, "Those hurt like hell."

"True, but I prefer shotguns over fusion rifles any day."

"Why? Wait," A pause, "No, the imagery just flashed into my head. Don't answer that."

Chuckling, Carina then walked over and picked up her fallen auto rifle, flexing her fingers around the trigger before she dashed down the hall. Hearing gunfire echo throughout the old building, she then asked, "How are we doing?"

A snort from Angel, "Take a look."

Puzzled at the human Hunter's answer, Carina slowed down to a walk as she held out her hand, summoning Spirit's green and violet form as the scoreboard flashed into her vision. Her team, Team Alpha, taking the lead with barely 200 points.

"One more minutes and we win," She heard Ianos mutter, hearing Angel let out a nervous chuckle in response, "I just hope that winning our third round will be enough for Pluto."

"If he comes back," Carina added in as she lowered her hand, signaling to Spears to materialize into the safety of her armor, "It's been how many days now?"

"Three," Angel responded followed by familiar gunfire of a hand cannon echoing through the coms; 'Angel killed Zero-20' soon flashed onto her visor, "Guess it's taking him longer to find this 'Akiva' person than he thought?"

"Akiva, although a Titan, is a very difficult Guardian to locate," Ianos explained, prompting Carina to lift up her auto rifle as she stepped outside, peering into her scope to spot the Warlock standing on top of one of the old water tanks, now clad in dark azure and black with a scout rifle in hand, "Even though he is not as old as Pluto and I, he has been around long enough to experience tragedy."

Spotting the familiar cloaked form of a Hunter dashing towards her from the corner of her vision, Carina pointed her weapon at her opponent, waited until the familiar fire of a scout rifle rang in her auditory sensors, seeing the Hunter stop dead in his tracks as his shoulder jerked back, and Carina promptly fired her weapon into his chest before he could even let out a scream.

Another 100 points being added to her counter, Carina then slowly and cautiously made her way through the small courtyard as Ianos continued, "Akiva is constantly known for his 'lone patrols', often time not returning to the Tower for years at a time." Hearing Ianos pause, Carina then heard the familiar voice of Shaxx permeating through the arena; a sign of the end of the round and their victory, "Although, this is the first time he prolonged his patrols to 'decades'."

"Is there a reason for that?" It was Angel who asked, Carina feeling the familiar weightlessness of transmat overflowing her senses before she found herself in the cockpit of her ship as she heard Ianos answer, "No one knows. He just announced one day he was heading to Mars and has not returned since." The female Exo then heard him let out a thoughtful hum, "There are rumors though that many of the Guardians patrolling on Mars reported spotting a 'strange' Titan on occasion, but any investigation leads up with nothing."

"So, what makes Pluto think he will be able to find him?"

A pause from Ianos, "The two of them were… close, at one point."

"Close?" Angel repeated, "What do you mean, 'close'?"

"Close, like…" Carina couldn't help but let amusement settle into the back of her mind as Ianos attempted explanation, "Close, 'intimately' close."

"…What?"

"…Just ask Pluto when he gets back."

Xxxxx

"This is what I get for staying on Venus for several decades," Pluto muttered to himself as he ducked down behind rusted barricades, the relentless fire of the Cabal screaming around him, "Got used to literal walking targets, not slow walking tanks."

"Cabal coming in, twelve o' clock."

"Cut that out," Pluto snapped as he reached up and his fingers grasped the familiar points of his Ghost's shell, snatching Nix back into safety as he barely felt the brush of a Cabal shot burn against the back of his hand, "I may not be able to see, but I can hear just fine."

As if to prove his point, the Exo Hunter unsheathed his knife and swung his arm back, hearing the familiar 'shunk' of metal sinking into flesh before he felt the sides of his fingers press against metal. Hearing the Cabal let out a gurgle, Pluto then forcefully removed his knife from the Cabal's neck, hearing the blade scrap against the cracks of its armor as he heard it fall with a dull 'thump' nearby.

Letting a sense of pride settle into his chest at his actions, Pluto then paused as he then felt Nix twist his shell inward in his hands, "I was just, trying to be helpful."

Hearing the ache in his Ghost's voice, the Exo Hunter's stern gaze soften as he cupped Nix in his hands, "I…I apologize Nix, I didn't mean-"

A low rumble interrupted his words followed by Pluto's instinct screaming at him to roll forward, feeling his shoulder burrow into the sand before he felt the area behind him shake, followed by a familiar roar of a Cabal and the clanking of their armor.

"How rude." Pluto pushed himself back onto his feet, releasing his grasp just enough for Nix to glide out of his hands and feeling the familiar 'weight' settle back into his mind, "Attacking us while our guard was lowered, the Cabal hold no sense of honor."

Smiling at his Ghost's words, Pluto then removed his scout rifle from his back before firing, hearing the familiar hiss and 'pop' of his bullets hitting their mark before he leaped into the air, and tapped the side of his helmet. Feeling Nix shift inside in response, Pluto then felt waves of light leave him followed by warmth permeating into his optics, forming figures emboldened by white lines against a dark background within his vision. Recognizing a large form wielding a shield, the Exo Hunter shifted his aim towards the less protected troops before straightening out his form and accelerating himself towards the Phalanx. Shifting himself so that he was falling feet first, Pluto braced himself as he slammed them into the shield, only to grit his jaw as he felt the force shoot throughout his body, his senses screaming at him for his idiocy before he pressed pressure against the Cabal weapon and then leaping off, stumbling onto his back as he landed onto dry sands.

"That hurt a lot more than I expected," He admitted.

"What were you expecting?" Nix clicked inside his helmet, "Break through the shield?"

"…Maybe."

"Traveler, and you tell me to be careful."

Smiling sheepishly behind his visor, Pluto then rolled onto his side when he sensed movement before him, only for his auditory sensors to hear the familiar slam of a shield bury itself into the sand, followed by a grunt. Tapping the side of his helmet to signal to Nix to send more waves, the Exo Hunter then raised his weapon and aimed towards the Phalanx's head. However, before he could pull the trigger, the familiar sound of shattered bone and metal rang into his senses, followed by the familiar pieces of debris settling into his lap.

"That, wasn't you, was it?"

Frowning at Nix's words, Pluto simply responded with a "No" before pushing himself back onto his feet, clutching his scout rifle cautiously in his hands as he approached the body and prodded it with the muzzle of his weapon.

"It's dead, I made sure of that."

Instinct taking over, the Exo Hunter turned and fired, only to hear a yelp followed by the familiar brush of feet stumbling over the sand.

"Hey! Woah! It's me, Lovebird! It's me!"

His optics narrowing behind his visor, Pluto lowered his rifle before stating, "How many times do I have to tell you, Akiva, it's Pluto-99."

"But Lovebird was such a cute name," The Exo Hunter didn't have to see to know that the newcomer was grinning, "especially the way how you – what happened to your eyes?"

Pluto couldn't help but frown, "Why is that the first thing people say when they first notice?" Shaking his head as he holstered his weapon, he then added, "and to answer your question, what happened was me."

He easily sensed the puzzled look, "What?"

"He means he did it himself," It was Nix who clarified, Pluto feeling the viridian Ghost form over his shoulder, "and yes, he meant to do it."

"Now why would you – wait, you're blind too." A pause, "You blinded yourself for Nix?"

Pluto nodded.

"Why?"

Immediately, the Exo Hunter gave Akiva a glower, "Why should I keep the gift of sight when my Ghost risked life and body to resurrect me in battle? Why should I be able to keep my sight when my ghost lost his to ensure I stay alive? Why should I be able to enjoy seeing the world when my Ghost is unable to." Pluto let out a scoff as he crossed his arms, "The least I can do is to ensure that I see what Nix 'sees'."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, no need to be so upset." He heard the Titan take a few steps back followed by a laugh, "Although, still turns me on to see you so angry."

Pluto heaved out a sigh at this, shaking his head as he said, "I am not here to have a friendly chat, Akiva. I am here to see if you can help me."

"Oh? Help on what?" Easily sensing the Titan take several steps forward, feeling him easily close the distance and lean in, Pluto reached up and pressed a hand on the front of Akiva's visor, pushing him back as he added, "Not 'that' kind of help."

Sensing the disappointment from the Titan, Pluto simply rolled his optics before shoving him back, "I am wondering if you can help me in a Crucible match."

"Crucible." He heard his fellow Guardian repeat, "Now what for?"

"Neve." Pluto heard a single 'ah' emit from the Titan, "She challenged me to a Crucible match. Clash. I already have three others. Just need two more. Was wondering if you are interested in helping."

"Look, I am all up for a Crucible match." He then sensed Akiva give him a puzzled look, "But why in the darkness did Neve challenge you, 'The Executioner?'"

Sighing at this, Pluto pressed fingers to the side of his temples, contemplating on an answer before he admitted, "The reason why is because Neve wanted to kill Ianos." He heard Akiva pause, "and I would not let her harm him."

"Damn." A hum emanated from the Titan, "Isn't he old enough to fend for himself? You and your boyfriend spoil the kid too much." Pluto flinched at his words, "Always there for his defense when it's not even a part of your business."

The Exo Hunter gave him a blank look, "I still do not understand why you call Ianos 'kid', even though he is almost twice as older than you, maybe more."

"It's because you and Neptune treat him like he is your own." He heard Akiva let out a laugh, "Hence 'kid'. Never seen two Guardians so protective over another." Another hum can be heard from the Titan, "So, where is your 'husband' anyway? Aren't you two always together?"

That is when Pluto went tense, gritting his jaw as grief settled into his systems, followed by a soft and gentle touch through his link with Nix, hearing his Ghost spin his viridian shell against his core.

"Oh." He heard the realization in Akiva's voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" A cough, followed by the sound of hands clad in leather rubbing nervously together, "So, you got your fifth member, but what about that sixth?"

Pluto blinked, "Still working on that."

"Well worry no more." The Exo Hunter couldn't help but raise a metallic brow as Akiva chirped, "Do you think I would stay years on Mars for no reason? Let me introduce you to someone. You will love her."

Listening to the Titan's heavy footsteps trudge through the heavy sands, Pluto took it as a sign to follow, "Introduce me to who?"

"You'll see." Hearing the teasing tone intermingling with excitement, the Exo Hunter decided not to question it, and instead, continued to follow his fellow Guardian through the red sands.

Xxxxx

The need to eat and drink turned practically nonexistent but that doesn't mean it is completely out of their need. Although light can be rejuvenated with sleep, many Guardians also found out that taking in sustenance helps speed up the process, and as such, a large cafeteria was implemented into the Tower, a place for those who wants a quick recovery. Or for others, a simple need like coffee to get them through the morning.

Taking a sip of his morning drink, Angel kept his green eyes on the screen that Hope had conjured up, pressing occasional buttons on its surface as the words flashed and changed, "Progress?"

"Almost. There." He heard his Ghost huff, her shell shifting against her core before he saw her optics brighten, the scramble of letters and words clearing up on the screen and to be replaced with familiar files, "Got it!"

Grinning as he placed his cup aside on the table he was seated upon, Angel then said, "Finally, took us only a couple of days."

"Hah!" Hope grinned triumphantly back at him, "Can't wait to see the look on Cayde's face when he figures out we got around his encryption." The female Ghost then glided over near Angel's shoulder, keeping the screen forward for better viewing, "So, which file should we look at? Should we continue to look for the file on Ianos' Fireteams?"

Picking up his cup and taking another sip of the dark beverage, Angel hummed before he shook his head, "That file is encrypted meaning it's classified." He easily sensed the disappointment from the female Ghost, "We just got in, don't want to attract attention to ourselves so soon. Especially when Cayde keeps a close eye on those types of files."

"Boo, no fun." Smiling as Hope let out a Ghost equivalent of a pout, he then suggested, "How about we look up the file on this Akiva individual?"

"Oooh~ Not bad~" Hope practically sang, "Alright, give me a moment." Hearing clicks and whistles emanating from his Ghost, it was only moments later when the female Ghost then chirped out, "Got it!"

The screen then lit up with a head profile of a male with unkempt brown hair barely passing his ears, golden eyes easily seen against pale features, and Angel couldn't help but feel like the broad grin planted on his face was contagious.

"Akiva Wahl. Human male. Titan. Once was part of Fireteam Chargers, known for runnin' headfirst into battle and the first to volunteer for risky missions. Only known survivor after an attempted assassination on a Hive Prince called Crota. Afterwards, he went on repeated missions outside of Earth's orbit, sometimes not returnin' for years at a time. His last known frequency was located on Mars."

"Is he an Awoken?" Angel squinted at the screen, leaning if as if to gain a better look, "His skin is way too pale to be human."

"He's definitely human." Hope confirmed, causing the human Hunter to turn and give her a bewildered look, "Key characteristics for Awoken are luminescent eyes and mist like patterns on his skin. He has neither of those."

"But, he's so pale." Angel murmured, taking another sip of his coffee, "Paper pale."

"As long as they're not sick or dead, that's normal for humans. I thought you already knew that."

"Hope, I have been resurrected only for less than a year and half of that was spent in the wilds trying to survive against Fallen and Vex on Venus. Any Guardians I have made contact with had their helmets on and most of my memories aren't even intact enough to remember meeting other people in my previous life."

"…Good point."

Shaking his head at his Ghost, Angel then took another sip of his coffee before he asked, "Anything else on Akiva?"

"Well," Hope hummed, Angel watched her skim over the screen, "He's also known for bedding anyone he encounters."

The human Hunter let out a choke, "What?"

"He's known for sleepin' with everyone." Hope clarified, "And I mean 'everyone." He watched her momentarily pause as her optic continued to scan the screen, "Exo. Awoken. Human. Male. Female. Doesn't matter. You up for a night of fun, he'll take it."

Giving his Ghost a wide-eyed look, Angel shifted nervously in his seat as he then asked, "Anything else?" He then quickly added, "Anything 'useful'."

Sensing the female Ghost grin at the addition in his words, Angel simply said nothing as he watched her optic skim over the information once more, "Says here that he's also pretty skilled in the Crucible, sometimes only usin' his fists to fight his opponents, even if they have a gun."

Angel contemplated on the information, "So, we have a chance to win then?"

"Maybe," Hope hummed, "Although, we still need one more person."

"It's early in the day and you two are already working?"

Snapping his attention to the side, Angel waved as the familiar silver Exo walked up to the table, the latter of which was absent of her armor and instead wore the familiar tight black jumpsuit that all Guardians wore underneath their gear, taking a seat next to the human Hunter as she laid down her tray on the tabletop.

"It's never too early to learn new things, Carina." Smiling as the female Titan simply let out a huff at his words, Angel then watched with mild interest as she picked up her utensils and started to eat, momentarily glancing back and forth between the glop that was breakfast and his friend, "I still find it hard to believe that Exo can eat."

No sooner had his words left his lips when the familiar violet and green form of Spears materialized into view, the Ghost letting out clicks and whistles as Carina momentarily glanced over.

"Spears said that the Exo have been created in humanity's image thanks to the advantage of the Traveler. Or at least, close enough." She translated before Angel watched her shift her focus back towards him and pointed her fork in his direction, "That includes eating and digesting food and drink."

"And taste?" Angel's eyes widen at Carina, watching as the female Exo stabbed her fork into her food before she stated, "Why else would I be eating?"

"Wait, then you're not eating to help recover your light?"

"Of course not!" Angel blinked as Carina gave him a bewildered look, like as though he had just spoken something blasphemous, "It just tastes good, is that not a good reason enough to eat?"

Reeling back at the sound of offense in her words, Angel parted his lips to clarify when his eyes glanced over Carina's shoulder, only for him to nod once in greeting, "Good morning, Ianos, how is the start of your day?"

Instead of receiving an immediate answer, the human Hunter instead sensed a glare emanate behind the Awoken's visor before the latter took a seat across from him, Angel watching as he propped an elbow onto the table and placing his head in his hand, "Not a morning person?"

"You have no idea." Ace glided over Ianos' shoulder, "He hardly sleeps but when he does, he's a monster to get out of bed." Angel watched with amusement as the Ghost shook their core side to side, "Took me forever just to get him up."

"Shush, too noisy for me to think," The human Hunter couldn't help but snort at Ianos' words, "and think less loudly."

Angel didn't have to glance over at Carina to see the confused stare she gave to the Awoken, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do not worry about it." Ace shifted their parts upwards, flashing the female Titan a ghost equivalent of a grin, "It is a Warlock thing."

Giving the black and orange Ghost a curious look in response to this, Angel suppressed the urge to question the Ghost and Awoken pair before taking another sip of his drink, "Since we're all here, two more days until the 'big' match against – what's her name – Neve?"

Receiving a nod from Ianos as an answer, it was Hope who glided forward, turning off the screen in front of them as she stated, "Are you sure you guys will be alright fightin' her team?" Angel sensed her hesitation, her concern as she added, "I mean, Neve's team is renowned for participatin' in both Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris. And they perform quite well, if I may add."

"That, really doesn't help us, Hope," This only earned himself a shrug from his Ghost, "Although, I cannot help but be concerned for Ianos." He shifted his attention towards the Warlock, seeing the latter just lift his head up slightly at the mention of his name, "If we lose, Neve is going to kill him."

Angel heard Carina scoff, "No she won't." A pause, "Will she?"

"She will try." The human Hunter flinched at Ianos' answer, "I have known her for years and I know for certain that she is one thing: Stubborn."

"And angry," Carina added in, "What did you do to her? All I heard is that somehow you are involved in the death of her husband and child." Angel then heard the female Exo pause, "Wait, Guardians are able to have children?"

"Yes." Ianos' answer was quick, without hesitation, "It's rare but, Guardians – those who are capable anyway – are able to have children with not only each other, but those who are not of the light as well. Just as long as they are capable of reproduction."

"But, there are no signs of kids in the Tower," Angel gave Ianos a puzzled look, "there's not even a mention of them in the files. If Guardians are able to reproduce, then why haven't Carina and I, newborns stuck to the Tower and the vicinity of the Cosmodrome, even heard of them before?"

"The reason that not many Guardians actually live long enough to have children." Ianos' answer caused Angel to go silent, the Awoken continuing to add, "and even if they are successful in siring a child, the child does not last long."

"What do you mean?" It was Carina, the female Exo's question earning her a sigh from the Awoken, "There are reason why children of Guardians are kept secret. They are candidates, 'chosen' that have a chance to be selected by a Ghost. In other words, a threat to the Darkness." Angel watched as Ianos straightened himself out in his seat, "But they have to mature, grow in 'strength' in order to be a proper 'threat' towards the Darkness. And what better way than to be rid of them when they are small, helpless to defend themselves?" Angel flinched at Ianos' words, "Of all the records of children of Guardians, there is only one that made it past maturity."

"Wait." The human Hunter perked up, "Who?"

Angel felt Ianos' gaze shift towards him, "Ever heard of the Guardian Shin Malphur?"

"Sounds familiar." The younger Guardian admitted, humming silently to himself as Carina then piped in, "Isn't he the wielder of the Last Word?"

At the mention of the familiar hand cannon, recognition lit up in Angel's eyes as he snapped his fingers, "He's more than that! He's the Guardian who killed Dredgen Yor! A Guardian who literately went dark!" Grinning as his mind processed to shift through information on the literal yin and yang amongst the Guardians, Angel then added, "Shin Malphur is the first and 'only' recorded Guardian to have been chosen without experiencing a first death –" That is when it clicked, the smile on the human Hunter's face vanishing as he turned his wide eyes towards Ianos, "Wait, you don't mean…"

Ianos nodded, Angel letting his jaw drop as he heard Carina sputter in surprise next to him, "I am not sure if either one parent was a Guardian or if both were chosen, however, Shin is the only child that I know of to make it to maturity 'and' acquire a Ghost, albeit, from another Guardian." The Awoken Warlock shrugged, "But it turned out well for him, Shin has officially made himself a legend."

"Now I understand why Neve is so upset." Angel shifted his gaze towards Carina, watching the latter push her tray away to give room to fold her arms across the table top, "To have a rarity to bring life into this world, only for it to slip right out of your hands."

Seeing Ianos flinch at her words, the young Hunter decided to add in, "What happened anyway? If a Guardian carrying a child indeed is rare, shouldn't there be protocols to ensure their safety?"

"Did I not tell you that Neve is a stubborn individual?" Angel couldn't help but feel as though Ianos rolled his eyes behind his visor, "They tried that with her, but she kept insisting to go out on missions. At least until she is close to her due date."

The Hunter couldn't help but frown at that, "Why?"

"Her husband." Angel paused at Ianos' answer, "As you know, marriage between two Guardians is extremely rare, since more than likely one or the other won't make it back from the field. So, when Neve and her husband, Ricard, decided to marry, it was a huge celebration." The younger Guardian couldn't help but reel back at the chuckle that permeated from Ianos, "We even opened the Tower to the civilians in the City, letting everyone in instead of just selected individuals." A sigh then emanated from the Warlock, "But, after their union, the two them got too 'clingy', too protective of the other. They constantly feared for their partner's safety, to the point where one or the other would throw themselves into danger to ensure the other stays safe." Ianos then shook his head, "Even though she was with child, Neve refused to let Ricard out of her sight and as such, she followed Ricard into missions to ensure his well-being."

"And how did you get involved?" Angel asked.

"I was assigned as a bodyguard for the two," The human Hunter blinked at Ianos' reply, "They believe that an extra body will keep their obsession with each other's safety in check and to keep the unborn child safe." It was then Angel noticed the sound of tapping permeating from Ianos, the human Hunter glancing downwards to see the Awoken's fingers tapping on the table top. Hard, "And as you can tell, it did not turn out well."

From the corner of his vision, Angel watched Carina lean in, "What happened?"

"I think we have answered many of your questions." Ace glided in between the group, muttering out, "We will tell you the rest of the story later."

Letting disappointment sink into his chest at the black and orange Ghost's words, Angel then jumped as a new voice piped in, "Aaaw, just look at those faces. Tell them the story so the adorable 'wittle newborns' don't look so sad."

Turning his attention towards the front of the table, Angel's eyes widen as his gaze settled upon a familiar pale face, "Wait, you're Akiva!" He abruptly stood up, gawking as the Titan grinned, "Oh hoh, so I'm getting popular~"

The way he practically sang the line caused the young Hunter to pause, only for his focus to shift as the familiar dark clad form of Pluto appeared next to the Titan's side with a shake of the head, and followed by another figure that was quickly hidden by Akiva's broad form as the Titan walked over to Ianos, and to Angel's surprise, placed a hand on top of the Awoken's helmet, "Hey Ianos! How's it going kid?" The Titan grinned, "Take off that helmet so I can see that beautiful face of yours."

"You wish." Angel heard Ianos grumble, although, his voice was tinged with a bit of playfulness, a soft tone that the young Hunter couldn't help but found foreign and strange, "and who is that? Friend of yours or another body you found to sleep with tonight?"

"Oh, come on! I can make friends without asking them to be a sex buddy."

"Right, I will believe it when I see it."

Releasing a nervous smile as the human Titan gave Ianos a pout, Angel then finally saw the newcomer walk around Akiva's broad form.

From his position, her long violet robes and crackling yellow bond marked the individual as a Warlock, and with the slim form, this told her physique was that of a female. The misty texture on her cool gray skin reveal her origins as an Awoken, fixed in place by her glowing crimson eyes which seemingly brightened as she smiled. Long white strands cascaded down her back and over her shoulders even when she bowed, although, the accent that all Awoken seem to hold was absent, catching Angel off guard as she spoke, "Greeting, my name is Aleeza Wahl, it is very nice to meet you all."

"Wahl?" It was Hope, Angel hearing the female ghost repeat back the female Warlock's name before she stated, "Like, as in the same last name as Akiva?" The human Hunter's eyes widen at this, turning his attention back towards Aleeza as she released another smile and nodded, 'But Akiva is a Human and you are an Awoken?! How can the two of you share the same last name!?"

"Have you forgotten about the humans who made it off the Earth only to turn into Awoken?" Angel jumped a ruby and white Ghost popped up over Aleeza's shoulder, her shell scrunching together to show her displeasure, "Doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"Now, now Lena." A yellow and white Ghost materialized next to Akiva, "No need to be so rude about it."

Hearing Lena let out a 'hmph' in response to her fellow Ghost's words, Angel then heard the yellow and white Ghost let out a sigh before turning towards the human Titan, "Akiva, may I?"

The Titan in question grinned, "It's all yours, Lex."

Watching the Ghost nod in appreciation towards his Guardian, Angel then watched as the latter turn his attention towards the occupants of the table, "As you know, Akiva and Aleeza's origins may appear different but, as the two got to know each other, they shared fragments of memory that were too similar to be coincidental, and as such, Lena and I decided to dig back to the time when we first resurrected the pair."

"And that, is where we found these." Akiva announced, holding up black cord with a small circular gold metal dangling near the end, beaming as Angel watched Aleeza dig through the neck of her robes before holding out a similar object, "and if that wasn't enough, it opens as well."

"What?"

Voicing out his surprise, Angel watched with wide eyes as Akiva reached out a hand effortlessly popped the circular object opened, before leaning in and holding it out in the middle of the table for a better glance. Squinting to clear up what he was seeing, Angel spotted two forms with an arm across each other's shoulders – a boy and girl – and it took the young Hunter a moment to realize that the pair shared the same brown strands, the same pale skin, and eyes.

Twins, Angel realized before he spotted the familiar broad smile of Akiva on the boy, prompting Angel to examine his opposite, only to pause. Despite the color of her skin, hair, and eyes to be different, the physical features of the girl matched Aleeza's exactly, causing the human Hunter's jaw to drop as Akiva finally pulled away and tucked the precious piece of jewelry back around his belt.

"Twins," Carina broke the silent, "You two are twins?!"

"Hard to believe, right?" The human Titan beamed at his fellow Titan's words, "Of all the chances, the two of us would find each other." Angel can sense the giddiness permeate from Akiva as he added, "And as Guardians too!"

Contemplating on the situation, Angel slowly mused, "Then, how did you turn into an Awoken?"

"Did I not say it before, the humans who tried escaping from the Darkness?" It was Lena, the female Ghost seemingly annoyed at the repeat of her words, "and those who had returned as Awoken?"

"Yes?" Angel found it more to be a question than an answer, "Wait, no." He turned his wide eyes towards Aleeza as it finally clicked, "No way, you're saying that you were one of the humans who made it to the edge of Darkness and came back?"

"Yes," Once again, the young Hunter gawked, "Although, I have to admit, my memory of the time is a bit 'fuzzy' but I do remember salvaging a ship with other survivors and heading back to earth." She let out a nervous laugh as she scratched the back of her head, "Although, most of us didn't make the land, if you know what I mean?"

"But, if you made it off of earth." Angel watched as Carina turned her attention towards Akiva, "Then where were you?"

"I was part of the militia responsible for evacuating civilians." Akiva grinned as Angel gave him a blank look before the former shrugged, "Easier said than done though. There were 'a lot' more hostiles than we can handle."

"What kind of hostiles?"

Seeing the human Titan purse his lips, Angel watched with mild amusement as Akiva once against shrugged, "All in the past though, nothing to be concerned about."

"And instead, let's focus on the present." The human Hunter jumped as he suddenly found Aleeza take a seat next him, leaning back as she shifted closer. Way too close, "Let's get to know each other." He watched her wink, "Want to spend some quality time, handsome?"

That is when Angel felt heat rush up to his face, wringing his hands together as he stuttered, glancing over at Carina for help only to see the latter smiling; Angel knew that she wasn't going to be of any help.

"Or, if you don't swing that way, how about me?" Angel found himself trapped as Akiva took a seat on his other side, the young Hunter letting out a choke at his words, "Nervous? Is this your first time?" Angel sputtered, stumbling over his words only for the human Titan to add, "Don't worry, Aleeza and I, we're both good 'teachers'."

"Buzz off!" The young Hunter let out a sigh of relief as Hope came to his rescue, her shell clicking furiously against her core as she added, "Can you not tell he's not interested!?"

"Ooh~ Snappy Ghost, good choice." A smile formed onto Akiva's pale features, his golden eyes beaming at Angel, causing the latter's face to flush even further, "But since you made it clear, Aleeza and I will leave him alone." Another flash of his smile, "Although, if you change your mind, feel free to approach us."

Mentally making a note to himself that is a thing that will 'never' happen, Angel watched as the female Warlock turned her attention towards Carina, her crimson eyes glittering, "What about you, Exo? Interested in having fun?"

Momentary silence permeated through the table at Aleeza's question, Angel taking in a breath as Carina's optics narrowed, the young Hunter waiting for an outburst from the female Titan. Then, to his surprise, her gaze softened and instead of snapping back, she shrugged and smiled, "Sure, why not? Fun to experiment."

This caused the grin on Aleeza's smile to broaden, "First time?"

"First time?"

"This will be interesting," Hearing Aleeza chirp as she stood up, Angel can only sit in silence as she gently wrapped her fingers around the silver Exo's hand, lifting her off of her seat and leading her out of the room, the pair's Ghosts following after them.

"Hey!" The young Guardian snapped his attention to Pluto, the blind Hunter calling out, "We have practice, remember!"

"It's still early!" Aleeza shouted back, "We'll get more activity near the evening! We have time!"

"Aleeza!" Angel can sense the frustration oozing off of Pluto as the two female Guardians left the room, "Why is it the two of you have to be so promiscuous?"

"What?" Akiva feigned hurt, the young Hunter hearing an exaggerated gasp coming from the Titan, "It's not a sin to sleep around."

"It's not, but it is a distraction," Pluto snapped, "We have two days until the match and Aleeza decides to spend precious time to have sex with Carina."

"Aw, come on. It's not 'that' distracting." Akiva smirked, "I didn't hear you complain back then when we were together in bed."

A sputter and a choke escaped from Angel as he took in this new information, the young Hunter hearing Ianos let out a cough as Pluto recoiled from the human Titan's words, "…Do you have to bring something like that up when we are present around others? Especially 'newborns'?"

"Maybe." Angel easily heard the teasing tone in Akiva's voice, earning the Titan a sigh from the Exo Hunter, "Just-Just contact us through our Ghosts when evening hits or at least when Aleeza and Carina are done." He then sensed a glare emanated behind Pluto's visor, "We do not need to waste any more time than needed."

Watching Pluto then leave afterwards, Angel then shifted his attention towards Akiva, watching as the latter turned towards the Awoken Warlock, "So, Ianos-"

"I am 'not' interested." Ianos' words were instant, no sign of hesitation, and just emitted a stare of disdain, even when Akiva gave him a disappointed look.

"Guess Aleeza is the only lucky one today." A sigh escaped the Titan as he propped an elbow and placed his chin in his hand before turning to Angel and smiled, "So, tell me. How did you end up on Ianos' Fireteam?"

Angel couldn't help but pause and blink, the sudden shift from sexual interactions to one of normal conversation catching him off guard, "Carina and I were assigned under Ianos' care by the Vanguard."

"Pfft, of course." Akiva laughed, "The Vanguard, always making the decision for you, whether you're ready or not."

"Is that why you ran off to Mars?" Ianos deadpanned, "So you can be avoided being placed on a new team?"

"Well, half of that," Angel watched as Akiva smiled sheepishly, "The other half was that I bumped into Aleeza on mars." He heard the Titan hum happily, "When we figured out we were twins, we decided to take that time to catch up."

"That long?"

"Well, Aleeza was resurrected before me, so she had a lot more to tell."

Hearing Ianos let out a disbelieving snort at Akiva's words, Angel blinked as the Awoken suddenly stood up, turning a blank gaze towards the pair, "If you need me, I will be in my quarters. Need to do research on which weapons I need to bring for the match." Then, without another word, he left, leaving only Angel and Akiva the lone occupants on the table.

"Well, now that he's gone, I have a serious question for you Angel."

Snapping his attention away from the exit where Ianos had left, the younger Guardian reeled back when the smile on the Titan's face faded, and replaced with a blank look; something then clicked inside Angel's mind, "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Pluto is well informed of everything," Akiva's response caused Angel to give the older Titan a bewildered look, "not too hard to ask him to send data from his Ghost to mine." He then smirked, "Plenty of time to read from Mars to Earth."

His jaw going slack, Angel's green eyes widen as Akiva continued, "As for my question, tell me, have you learned how to wield a Golden Gun?"

A pause, "What, what do you mean?"

"Golden Gun, the solar elite for Hunters," Akiva clarified, causing Angel to give the Titan another puzzled look, "or, did you even attain solar light yet?"

Watching the Titan lean in as his golden eyes narrowed, the younger Guardian found himself shaking his head and stammering out, "I-I only know arc light. So far." Forcing himself to keep his gaze locked into Akiva's eyes as the latter's stare intensified, Angel then found himself releasing a breath he had not realize he had been holding as the human Titan's gaze softened and he leaned back in his seat, "Good, good." Akiva let out a breath, "That's good."

Both confusion and bewilderment settled into Angel's mind at the human Titan's words, causing the younger Guardian to straighten himself out in his seat and asked, "I don't understand. What's so good about me not learning Golden Gun or even solar light?"

"For Ianos." Angel paused at akiva's answer, "Look, I may not be as old as the kid, but I was around long enough to know him." He then watched as Akiva placed his arms on his knees, "You have noticed how Ianos react to fire? How 'twitchy' or nervous he gets when he is around it?"

"I don't…" The bewilderment in Angel's mind then faded when his memory suddenly snapped back to their first patrol, the image of the Awoken Warlock seated as far as he can away from the makeshift campfire clear, "Actually, yes." He turned his wide eyes back towards Akiva, "Yes I have."

"Then you haven't see the worst of it." Angel's jaw dropped at that as Akiva leaned in and stated, "Look, 'if' and 'when' you ever attain solar light, do not, I repeat, do 'NOT' use solar light around Ianos."

"Why?"

A sigh then permeated from Akiva, "Trust me, if you ever see Ianos react to fire, it won't be pretty. I've seen it and I do not wish to see it again."

"But, we're going to be facing Neve and her team in just a couple of days," Angel found himself saying, "What happens if they-"

"Pluto and I will handle that," Angel paused as Akiva frowned, "and if the rest of you can, try and handle those with solar light quickly before Ianos even takes sight of them." The Titan's gaze then hardened, "Got it?"

Eyes going wide once more, the human Hunter nodded slowly before a sigh then emanated from Akiva, watching as the latter reached up and covered his eyes with one of his hands, "Sorry if I'm sounding 'forceful', it's just. The memories." Hearing the Titan take in a breath, Angel simply stayed quiet as Akiva lifted himself up, "Look, I would tell you the reason why Ianos fears anything in relation to fire however, it is something personal, and I mean 'personal', for Ianos. It is not something that Ianos can recount so easily and it took me 'years' to even hear a 'part' of what had occurred. Only reason he hadn't told me the rest was because…" Angel blinked when the older Guardian's voice faded, seeing as a dazed look hovered in his eyes before the latter shook his head, light coming back into his gaze, "Ah, my apologies, must be getting tired." Akiva then gave him a sheepish smile, "I'm going to take this time to rest." Watching as the Titan pushed himself out of his seat and stretched, Angel continued to stay silent as Akiva then finished, "I'll see you in the Crucible tonight for practice."

Blinking when the human Titan exited with his Ghost in tow, Angel fixed his gaze towards the floor as he remained in his seat, questions swirling in his mind before he heard the familiar hum of Hope glide over his shoulder, "Is it just me, or every time we meet someone who is somehow connected to Ianos we just gain more questions about him instead of gainin' answers?"

"Well, they weren't kidding when they say Ianos is a mysterious fellow." Angel sighed as he propped his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his palm, "But Traveler, every time I think we get close to figuring him out, we just bump into another wall." He then groaned, "I am tempted just to hack into the Vanguard files to look him up."

"It's like you said, we just got back in," Hope reminded, "Too soon to attract Cayde's attention, and who knows, he might have placed it under deep encryption if he knows us well enough." Another hum from the Ghost, "And even if we do somehow decrypt it, it sounded like Ianos has a long history. By the time we even read a part of it, Cayde will just lock us out again."

Angel sighed at this, "I know, guess we're going to learn the hard way: just slowly break down Ianos' walls and get to know him better."

"That might take years." Hope deadpanned.

"I know…"

* * *

(((And here we go :D. Just for clarification, the { _Text_ } is Spears talking to Carina. Since his voice module is broken, only Carina and other Ghosts can understand him, and others will just hear gibberish. So, hope that clears things up a bit)))


	9. The Crucible Match

**_Tormented_**

 ** _The Crucible Match_**

 ** _Edited: 08/05/2018_**

 _Fixed grammar mistakes and changed some parts to better fit later chapters. Also, the old chapter, some parts was cringeworthy lol_

* * *

"Cayde, where are you going?"

His shoulders going rigid as he felt the Warlock's stern gaze on his back, the Hunter Vanguard hesitated momentarily, long enough for Ikora to add, "Is there something you want to tell us?"

Eyeing the exit of the room, Cayde mentally cursed before forcing himself to turn and fixate his gaze onto Ikora and Zavala, "I'm going to watch a Crucible Match."

"A Crucible Match." Zavala lifted his gaze from the report he was reading on the table, his luminescent blue eyes giving the Exo a narrowed look, "We have more important matters than watching a Crucible Match, Cayde. What is so intriguing about this one?"

Cayde couldn't help but blink at the Awoken commander, "You mean, you don't know?" This earned him a bewildered look from not only Zavala, but Ikora as well, "The match between Fireteam Blaze and Ianos' Fireteam?"

He saw Ikora raise a brow, 'Those two? Now why would those two participate in the Crucible against each other?"

"Ultimatum," The Exo Hunter answered, "If they refuse, Neve and her Fireteam will hunt Ianos down. If Ianos and his team accept, they have a fighting chance."

"In other words, if he wins, Neve will leave Ianos alone," Zavala clarified, "However if he loses a match…"

"She gets to kill Ianos," Cayde finished, easily hearing the sigh emitting from both the Titan and the Warlock, "She's still angry about the death of her husband and unborn child, if you cannot tell.'

"Cayde," The Titan Commander started, "I understand why you want to spectate this match, but as I have stated before, we have more important matters to attend to."

"Lovebird is also participating." Cayde's optics brightened as he saw the two Vanguard pause, "and guess who else is joining in?"

"Who?"

"Akiva Wahl, also known as the Bull." The Hunter Vanguard easily caught interest in Zavala and Ikora's gaze, "and Aleeza, the Banshee. They're siding with Ianos' team."

"The Black Death, the Executioner, the Bull, and the Banshee," Cayde heard Ikora breath out, her golden eyes twinkling with curiosity, "Against Fireteam Blaze, a team renowned for their wins in both the Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris," She crossed her arms, fixing her attention towards Zavala, "Hearing their names, I too am interested in the outcome of this match."

The Titan Vanguard gave the Warlock a betrayed look; the Hunter of the group couldn't help but snicker.

"Oh, come on, Zavala." Cayde chirped, "I know that Ikora and I aren't the only ones who wants to watch the match."

Giving the Titan Commander an expected look, the Exo Hunter barely contained his glee as a sigh of defeat can be heard from Zavala, "Fine, I am curious as well. When does this match start?"

"In a few minutes," Cayde's optics brightened, "So, let's hurry before it starts without us."

Xxxxx

"Is anyone else nervous?" Ianos turned his attention towards Angel, easily sensing worry emanating from the young Hunter behind his visor, "Or is it just me?"

"Mainly just you," He immediately responded as he slipped a clip into his scout rifle, easily spotting the Hunter's shoulders droop in response, "However, if you want an honest answer, I am nervous as well." Ianos momentarily paused, "just slightly."

"Neve?" It was Pluto who spoke, Ianos spotting the Exo fiddling with the sniper in his hands as Nix glided just above his shoulders.

"Somewhat." The Warlock admitted as he fixed his attention on the timer flickering on his visor, the numbers counting down until the start of the match, "I am just glad Shaxx chose a location on Earth. More obstacles and terrain to our advantage."

"The same goes for our opponents," Akiva warned as he secured his rocket launcher onto his back and hefting his auto rifle into his hands, "and since they have experience, they have a tiny bit of an advantage over us."

"Doesn't mean we can't win," Aleeza chirped, placing her pulse rifle onto her shoulder as she grinned, "Who knows, maybe luck will be on our side."

"We need a lot of that luck you are talking about then," Ianos heard Aleeza giggle at his words, "seriously, we do. The match is about to start."

As if on cue, when the timer hit zero, the numbers faded, only to be quickly replaced by the words _Twilight Gap, City Perimeter, Earth._ This soon was followed by another timer: Ten minutes.

"Fireteam Alpha," Ianos spotted Pluto shaking his head, a clear displeasure at the temporary name towards those who lack a proper title, "versus Fireteam Blaze."

"Still do not understand where Shaxx got those plain old names," He heard the Hunter mutter before nodding his head towards Nix, Ianos seeing the Ghost's shell shift upwards into an equivalent of a smile, "but that signals the start of this game."

No sooner had he finished speaking when Nix's viridian shell immediately glided off, quickly disappearing behind one of the many rusted buildings; Ianos raised a brow towards the blind Exo.

"Where is he going?" Carina finally voiced the question lingering in the Awoken's mind, "Aren't Ghosts supposed to stay with their Guardians for resurrection?"

"Normally, yes," Ianos heard the Exo Hunter hum, "however, remember, Nix and I are lacking our sight, so we aren't exactly 'normal' amongst Guardian standards."

"So, what is he doing?"

"Tracking." Ianos couldn't help but give Pluto a incredulous look; he heard the blind Exo laugh moments later. He must have sensed the looks of doubt, "You will see what I mean in a second."

Giving the Hunter another look, Ianos then shook his head, "Whatever works." He tapped the edge of his scout rifle, "Let us just get this over with. The sooner we can leave here the better."

"And kill before we get killed." He heard Carina chirped before she dashed forward, causing Ianos to jump before he quickly spotted the familiar forms of Akiva and Aleeza follow after.

Trailing the three Guardians until they disappeared into one of the rotting buildings, the Awoken then shook his head, "I swear, Carina seems to enjoy killing other Guardians in the Crucible way more than is considered normal."

"Must be the challenge." Ianos turned his head towards Pluto in time to see the Hunter shrug; he frowned at the Exo's words.

"Now why would anyone-"

"Target."

Seeing Pluto lift up his sniper rifle, Ianos ducked down as the familiar resounding shot of the weapon went off, the sound echoing through the arena. Not long after, the words 'Pluto-99 killed Ria-15' flashed across Ianos' visor.

"Traveler, give us a warning before you do that." Ianos snapped as he stood up, scowling at the Exo, "And how in the Traveler did you know she was coming?'

"Remember Nix?" The Warlock gave Pluto another bewildered look before it finally clicked, his orange eyes widening behind his visor before he nodded his head in understanding.

"I still don't get it." Ianos sighed at Angel's confusion, "how are you able to shoot and see your targets if your optics aren't working?"

A smile can be sensed emitting from the blind Exo, "Like I have said before, you will see later." Ianos stiffen when he then saw the Hunter turn towards another part of the arena, "Target."

As Pluto raised his sniper rifle once more, Ianos this time followed the line of fire, barely catching the familiar cloak of a Hunter before hearing the shot of the sniper going off. However, this time, the bullet slammed into the hearth, barely missing the edge of the red clad Hunter's feet as it kicked up dirt, clouding the line of sight.

"Missed."

Ianos couldn't help but let a tinge of amusement settle into his mind at the sound of frustration in Pluto's voice; he couldn't suppress his snicker, "You? Miss? Now that is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Shut up."

Smirking as he can sense the scowl emitting behind Pluto's helmet, Ianos continued to watch as the Hunter lifted up his sniper, paused momentarily, and fired. This time, the words 'Pluto-99 killed Jordan' flashed onto the Awoken's visor. It was not long after that static built up within their headpiece followed by Akiva's laughter.

"You're on a roll." The Titan practically sang, "already two kills and not even one minute into the match."

"Just focus on defense." Pluto chided as he took several steps forward and taking point, "Angel and I will be on the offense and Ianos…" The Warlock in question felt Pluto's gaze as the latter turned to look at him, "Ianos will assist."

Strangely, this caused the Awoken to frown, "I will assist, as long as I do not kill anyone."

Seeing Pluto nod in confirmation of his words, Ianos waited momentarily until the Hunter started to take the lead, prompting the Awoken to quietly follow behind the Exo Guardian.

Xxxx

"Excuse us, pardon us." Cayde called out as he easily slipped in between the crowd, pushing his way to the front of the screens before turning around and motioning to the others. Seeing a scowl form onto Zavala's face as the Titan easily made his way through the mass, Cayde couldn't help but be amused as Ikora stayed close behind the Awoken Titan, using the Vanguard Commander's immense size to her advantage to easily make her way to the front.

"There are a lot of people here." Zavala mused, placing himself in between Cayde and Ikora, unaware of his towering and broad stature keeping other Guardians at bay; the Vanguard Hunter snickered to himself at the annoyed looks the Titan Commander received, only for their eyes to quickly widened as they realized it was the head of the Vanguard himself.

"With the appearance of the Executioner, the Bull, and the Banshee after 'decades' of being AWOL, there is bound to be a large audience," Cayde commented as he made himself comfortable, stretching out his arms as his optics lifted upwards towards the screens above them, skimming his gaze over the one that had the name 'Akiva' flickering on the bottom, "add in Fireteam Blaze into the mix, it is a sure way to garner some attention."

"What is he doing?" Ikora suddenly asked as her golden eyes glanced over the screen that Cayde was viewing, squinting as the brown clad form of Akiva sheathed his weapons and crouched down.

Cayde couldn't help the twinkle of amusement in his gaze as he watched the Titan lean against the wall, an unsuspecting opponent slowly making their way around the corner, "Right here, you will see the example of why Akiva is called 'The Bull'."

No sooner had he finished speaking when it showed Akiva leaping out towards his opponent, the familiar particles of void light lingering over his fist before it impacted into the opponent's helmet, sending them reeling as the familiar sound of their shields shattering resounded through the audience. His opponent – a Titan – is momentarily stunned by the impact, allowing Akiva enough time to swing his other fist, this one also filtering with void light as it rammed into his opponent's jaw. Instantly, familiar burst of light ignited throughout the Titan's body before it finally simmered away in an outline of void, and then, his Ghost materializing into view.

It didn't take long for the audience to clap at the display, cheers and whistles permeating through the room as the screen showed Akiva pumping a fist into the air before dashing off.

"Ah yes, nearly forgotten why." Ikora commented as her golden eyes traced the human Titan, watching with amusement as he met up with Aleeza and Carina, the former motioning her arms towards the Titan; it was easy to read from her stiff shoulders and posture that she was not pleased with his stunt. Nonetheless, Akiva seemed to shrug it off, as he was seen scratching the back of his head before shifting his shoulders up and down, causing the female Warlock to throw her hands into the air in exasperation.

That is when a loud bang emitted from the screen, Cayde catching most if not all of the audience jumping at the sound before he spotted Carina's body fly backwards, taking only a moment to spot the familiar sniper shot on her chest as her body landed on the earth. Shouts and whoops then followed as a tally was marked for Neve's team, the audience's cheer growing as Akiva and Aleeza were now on alert, both Guardians diving for cover when a missed sniper shot slammed in between them.

"This is going to be interesting." The Vanguard Hunter mused, excitement lingering in his optics as he watched Aleeza jumped out of cover, narrowly ducking to avoid a shot at her head before skidding down onto her knees and sliding towards Carina's Ghost.

Xxxxx

"Cover me!" Aleeza shouted, holding out her hand to allow Lena to materialize and start beaming her light into Spear's form, watching as the timer for resurrection sped up on her visor.

"Say that to my short-range auto-rifle!" She heard Akiva shout back before the female Awoken heard the familiar shots of rapid fire resonate behind her, watching as her twin's form ran past. Seeing him momentarily dodge another sniper shot, Aleeza's heart skipped a beat when she saw Akiva run around a corner and out of sight.

"Wait! Akiva! Wait for us!" She shouted after her twin, only to snap her attention back towards Carina as she heard the familiar click of the resurrection timer hitting zero, signaling to Aleeza to jump onto her feet and leap back.

"Okay! Who killed me!?" Was the first thing out of Carina's mouth as the Exo Titan landed on her feet, weapon drawn as a snarl escaped her.

"I'll tell you later." Aleeza placed her hand onto the Exo's shoulder, causing the younger Guardian to snap her attention towards the Awoken, "But for now, let's find Akiva before he falls into a trap."

"Too late."

Puzzled by Carina's immediate response, Aleeza then spotted the text 'Spirit-9 killed Akiva Wahl' flicker onto her visor. This prompted the Awoken to heave out a sigh, "I always tell him not to charge in without back up." She then patted Carina's shoulder repeatedly before heading towards one of the buildings, "Come on, let's help my brother out, shall we?"

Xxxxx

"And of course, he gets himself killed." Ianos watched as Pluto shook his head, "always Akiva, charging in head first without a plan."

"Is that a bad sign?"

Pluto shook his head at Angel's question, "Akiva may get killed a lot, however, occasionally he does that on purpose."

"What do you mean?"

Ianos couldn't help but roll his eyes at the younger Hunter, "As you know, Akiva is fully capable of a one on one match." He waited until Angel nodded to continue, "What would happen if Akiva is suddenly taken down?"

"That there is more than one – oh." Understanding immediately emitted from the young Guardian, "So, Akiva sometimes charges in to warn us if there are more than one opponent in an area?"

Pluto nodded, "Exactly, as such, if you see him run off in a direction and he suddenly dies, you are informed that there is more than one individual waiting for you when you turn the corner."

"Aleeza and Carina split off with him, right?" Angel asked, Ianos watching Pluto nod once more to answer the younger Hunter's question, "Then that means they are warned that there is more than one Guardian nearby?"

"Correct, as such, why they have not been killed yet." Pluto confirmed before Ianos froze as the Exo Hunter halted, signaling to Ianos to take a step back as the Hunter raised his sniper once again and fired. It wasn't long when another tally was added to his kill count.

"Do you not have a silencer on that thing?" Ianos snapped, narrowing his orange eyes at the barrel of the weapon, "You are giving our position away."

"Let them come." The Awoken Warlock gave the Exo Hunter a blank stare, watching as the latter dropped an empty clip from his weapon before taking out a fresh one, "More kills for me."

"… You and your kill count." Ianos rolled his eyes as he continued to watch the Exo slide the clip in before finally pulling the lever on the side, "That need to keep it high still ingrained into your mind it seems."

"It is all about the bragging rights, Little Light," Scoffing at Pluto's words, Ianos then fixed his attention forward, only to freeze as he spotted a familiar form of a Titan duck down behind one of the windows; the colors of azure were not the copper or brown form of Carina or Akiva.

"Pluto-" Ianos started, only to reel back as the familiar sound of a sniper rang through the air however, this time, the shot was not fired from the Exo Hunter.

The Awoken's eyes widen as sparks emitted from the hole through Pluto's head, the Exo's body going momentarily still before he collapsed onto his knees, and then onto his side, signifying his death. Turning his attention towards the building where he had last seen the Titan, the shock was soon quickly replaced by rage as he spotted the Guardian duck behind his cover once more, "You. How dare you!"

Gathering the void around his body, Ianos rushed towards the building, ignoring Angel's calls as he focused in on the earth a small distance away from him, waiting until the head of the Titan popped out of cover to lift his hand and pull. Immediately, the familiar sensation of weightlessness permeated through his form followed by momentary blindness of light, causing Ianos to hold his breath as the world suddenly popped into his vision. This disorientation was quickly replaced by a sense of victory as the Titan fired his sniper, hearing the shot land on his previous position before the Guardian boosted himself through the window, and slamming himself into the Titan.

The world was then a blur as the Awoken attempted to gain the upper hand, cursing and snarling as he continuously attempted to bar the Titan use of his hands only to feel the Guardian easily resist, attempting to aim his weapon towards Ianos' chest. That is when the Warlock then heard a single gunshot ring through the air followed by the Titan suddenly going still, and his body collapsing on top of him in a heap.

Letting out a grunt at this, Ianos then shoved the body to the side, easily spotting the Titan's Ghost before looking towards the entryway, only to raise a brow as he saw Angel, hand cannon in his grip as the latter lowered his weapon, smoke billowing from the barrel to signify a fresh shot.

"Are you okay?" He heard Angel asked, however, instead of responding, Ianos gave the young Hunter an incredulous look.

Now Ianos had not been in the Crucible for decades, but he has participated enough where new Crucible participance do not take their first kills so lightly. It takes days, weeks even before a rookie could even steady their hands when taking aim at a fellow Guardian, let alone take a killing shot. Seeing Angel standing there, his hands steady, his body posture straight and unrelenting, Ianos couldn't help but find it hard to believe the younger Guardian's claims of never touching the Crucible until recently.

"What?" Ianos easily sensed the bewildered stare from the young Hunter, "why are you staring at me like that?"

Frowning at Angel's question, the Awoken contemplated on his thoughts before finally asking, "You took the shot too easily." He raised a brow as the Hunter paused, "You sure that you never participated in the Crucible beforehand?"

"Before I met you guys? Never."

Scrunching his features together at Angel's words, Ianos decided to let it slide; all Guardians have secrets, even ones as young as the Hunter standing before him. Since the Awoken held plenty himself, it is only fair that the younger Guardian gets to keep his hidden as well.

"Nix should have sensed Pluto's death by now," Ianos stated as he pushed himself onto his feet, brushing the dust off the front of his coat before searching for his fallen weapon, "let us head back to his body so that we are able to provide him cover when he resurrects."

Seeing Angel nod in confirmation at his words, the Awoken then spotted his scout rifle before scooping it up and trailing back towards Pluto's fallen corpse.

Xxxxx

"Damn," Cayde let out a whistle, "Been a while since I've last seen someone take out Lovebird, let alone with a sniper."

"First time for everything," Ikora mused as she crossed her arms, her golden eyes glittering with amusement, "although I am surprised that Ianos and Angel were able to kill Alyx on their own."

"Oh?" Cayde turned his curious optics towards the Warlock Vanguard, "Care to explain?"

"As you know, Hunter Angel is completely new to the Crucible," Ikora responded, earning a nod of confirmation from Cayde, "and compared to a Titan that has competed in both the Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris, the odds should have been against him."

"And Ianos?"

"You heard his vow," Cayde paused as old memories flickered to the surface, "I remember it quite well."

"Ah yes, I remember clearly now," It was Zavala, the Titan Commander silently contemplating on Ikora's words, "Never shall I take the life of another Guardian, never shall this gun spill the blood of Light, never again will I wield a weapon that has killed a Guardian, and never again will I spill the blood of a brethren of the Light."

"Oh, right," The Hunter Vanguard pulled his hood closer to his face, "That would explain why he hadn't participated in the Crucible the past few decades."

"And why he is using a Scout rifle instead of a Pulse rifle," Cayde gave Ikora puzzled look at her words, "If one handles it correctly, a pulse rifle is capable of hitting an opponent on three different areas. However, even the slightly shift of movement can completely change trajectory of the bullets."

"So, he's using a Scout rifle to only shoot one bullet per round," The Vanguard Hunter realized, "That way if he somehow messes up his aim…"

"He won't accidentally kill a Guardian, unlike with a Pulse rifle," Zavala finished, "He is taking every precaution to ensure he will not take a life."

Pondering on the words of his fellow Vanguard, Cayde then let out a snicker, earning himself puzzled looks, "To think, many Guardians believe him to be a Guardian killer." He shifted his attention back towards the screen, "The irony."

Xxxxx

"How many times do I have to tell you not to dash into battle like that?" Carina heard Aleeza scold just as her twin materialized onto his feet, earning herself a sheepish smile from Akiva, "You were just fortunate that there were only two of them here, otherwise, Carina and I would have been unable to resurrect you."

At first amused by the twins' bickering, the female Titan's amusement quickly dwindled as Akiva shrugged, immediately setting off sensations of frustration from the Warlock, "I thought there was only one."

"There is such a thing as looking around a corner," Aleeza snapped, Carina sensing another nervous smile from the male Titan before finally, the Warlock sighed, "Akiva, normally I would not say this in a Crucible match but, since you do this in the field as well, might as well say it again. There will be a day that dashing into battle like that will kill you. Permanently."

Now that quashed the last of Carina's mood right there, the female Titan slowly realizing the seriousness of the situation as the sheepishness previously emanating from Akiva slowly dwindled, only to filled by silence.

"Maybe that is what I was intentionally going for."

A stunned paused, "What?"

"I know you have lost loved ones as well, Aleeza, but, do you understand how it feels to be a survivor? Of walking out a mission after you watched your Fireteam get slaughtered by the enemy?"

"Akiva, we went through this already. You must let go."

"Let go? Let go! You didn't head down into the depths of the Moon only to witness your Fireteam, your 'family' get slaughtered by a Hive equivalent of a god!" Akiva shouted, "that is not something that you just let go, Aleeza!"

"Akiva, please, just let me help."

"Help? Help with what? Survivor's guilt?" Carina froze as she heard a bitter laugh emanate from the Titan; this was not the cheerful Guardian she just had met a few days ago, "You weren't there, Aleeza. You weren't there when that bastard slew down my team and then 'laughed' as I cowered behind my bubble, helpless to do anything."

A strained silence then followed Akiva's words, causing the female Exo to shift nervously on her feet; to her, it was an awkward situation, unsure whether to leave to give them space but leaving them exposed, or to stay but to continue to unintentionally tune in of their personal problems.

"Akiva." Aleeza finally broke the silence, "It is true that I do not know the feeling of being a lone survivor of a team, but I do know the sense of loss, and all I can say is this." Carina held her breath as the Awoken slowly closed the distance between herself and her twin before clasping his hands in hers, "That all this grief, all this loss, you do not have to do it alone."

Hearing the sincerity in the female twin's words, Carina shifted her optics towards Akiva, seeing the Titan lift his head slightly before he pulled Aleeza into an embrace, holding her close as the female Exo spotted the trembling from his shoulders.

"That's a relief," She let her shoulders fall, releasing the tension as Carina finally glanced up at her radar, only to spot red, "Wait."

Turning his attention towards the entrance of the building, Carina then froze as she saw the familiar head of a rocket flying towards them, "Shit."

Xxxxx

"Three kills for that Guardian," Pluto heard Angel comment as Nix sent the data to his optics, watching as Akiva, Aleeza, and Carina's names scrolled upwards, all of them preceded by 'Leonard', "are you sure that they're not going to catch up?"

"We still have five more minutes," The Exo Hunter answered as he fumbled for the heavy ammo clips, using his foot to shove aside the body of a Titan that had attempted to make a mad dash for it; with a combination of Angel's Hand Cannon shots and Pluto's sniper, she didn't stand a chance, "We will just take that time to keep ahead."

Holding out a clip towards Angel, Pluto sensed the younger Hunter hesitate before feeling the ammo leave his hand, signaling him to turn towards Ianos and hold out the other pack. However, he paused when he sensed Ianos promptly scowling at the heavy ammo and as such, decided to load it into his own machine gun, sliding the clip easily into the slot before closing the lid shut.

"So, this will help us stay in the lead?" He heard Angel ask as the young Hunter continued to prepare his heavy weapon – a machine gun if Pluto were the judge from the familiar clink of a belt made of bullets scraping against the sides.

"Perhaps," Pluto answered as he sheathed his heavy weapon back onto his back and hefted his sniper rifle back into his hands, "however if we die, we lose that ammo, and they only transmat one package of heavy ammo per round. You do have to take care when in hand with it."

"Is heavy ammo really that important?"

"You saw how many kills Leonard got, correct?"

"Oh, right."

"Just keep your guard up, you will never know when you will need it," Pluto advised as he shifted his blind gaze elsewhere, Nix's scans filtering into his optics; he let out a curse, "Shit, without Akiva and the others acting as our wall, Neve's team is heading this way." He frowned, "With Neve amongst them." The Exo then turned towards the younger Guardian, "Angel, get your machine gun ready," He shifted his attention over to Ianos, "Ianos, cripple them if you can."

The blind Exo then snapped to attention, the familiar outline of an approaching target filtering into his vision, "Target."

Fluidly lifting up his sniper, Pluto didn't hesitate to place pressure on the trigger, barely feeling the kick permeate through his arm as he took the shot. It didn't take long before Nix fed him the confirmed kill but instead of focusing on the individual, he then took aim again as he spotted three more approaching, "Angel! Heavy!"

As he fired another shot, Nix sending him another confirmation kill, Pluto then leaped out of the way as a panicked shriek emitted from the younger Hunter, barely feeling the bullets of the latter's machine gun grazing against his sides. If it wasn't for the fact that Angel's erratic shots had somehow slammed into one of Neve's Fireteam members, he would have shouted at the young Guardian for bringing in a weapon he had little control of. Or he should have as he then heard the familiar clinks of a weapon firing long after running out of ammo.

"Did I get anyone?"

Shoving the scolding to the side as Pluto took in the younger Hunter's question, the blind Exo then answered, "One, however, there is still one more to account for-"

He was unable to finish as a shot rang through the air, startling Pluto before hearing Ianos curse. At first confused by the Awoken's use of language, he finally understood as Nix sent him scans, only for him to see Angel collapse backwards, the clang of his machine gun leaving his hands a clear sign of his death.

Another scan of their surroundings prompted Pluto to bolt towards Ianos, tackling the Awoken to the floor as another sniper shot ricochet nearby. Pushing himself onto his knees, the Exo Hunter raised his sniper rifle and fired, only to let out an annoyed growl when Nix sent him scans to show that he had missed.

The Guardian he had missed was Neve.

Raising his sniper rifle again and waited patiently for Nix's scans, Pluto cursed as he saw Neve's outline skid into cover, easily keeping herself out of sight.

"Come out of hiding, coward," He hissed out as he waited, narrowing his optics as he sensed no movement, sensed no intentions of coming out of hiding. Perhaps a grenade would suffice enough to get her out into the open? As he contemplated on this, another scan was sent to his optics and immediately, Pluto shook his head. According to the scans he received, Nix was in a position where a grenade would be too risky, too dangerous for the blind Ghost. As such, Pluto opted for the waiting game, taking subtle signals from Neve as Nix continued to send him scans. That is when his scowl deepened.

According to what he can see, Neve was glancing over her shoulder too often, her fingers tense on the trigger of her sniper rifle. The female Warlock was hiding behind a crusted building with a window to allow her easy access to a shootout, but she was tense, only glancing over the window sill long enough just to gain some information, just as Pluto is doing with her. But what was she waiting for? The Exo Hunter was out in the open, with nothing but his sniper rifle as cover. She can easily get a shot on him and – even if Pluto hated to admit it – Neve may even beat him if she uses her cover well. So, why isn't she doing it?

Frowning behind his visor, Pluto contemplated on his situation before turning his attention towards Ianos, parting his lips to ask for advice when he suddenly realized his side was empty, glancing around until his senses pulled him towards Angel's place of death. The familiar hum of a Ghost materializing into the open reached the Exo Hunter's senses and it was then, Nix's scans showed Neve finally moving, hefting her sniper rifle over the window sill and taking aim. That is when Pluto realized what she was waiting for.

"Ianos! Ace!"

A resounding bang rang through the air followed by a scream from Ianos, as Nix's scans showed Ace flying through the air before landing with a dull 'thud' onto the dry hearth.

Xxxxx

Cayde took in a sharp breath as the audience suddenly went into an uproar, some of them screaming and pointing at the blasphemous shot while others were too stunned to even react. Who can blame the spectators? They just witnessed a Guardian trying to kill another's Ghost.

"We have to stop the match." Cayde heard Zavala state, the Hunter Vanguard turning in time to spot the Titan Commander easily making his way through the crowd, and it was then the Hunter spotted Shaxx's form towering above everyone else. He had to know what was going to happen next. As such, Cayde slipped between the mass, barely catching Ikora's form trailing behind him.

"Stop the match."

The words were demanding, Zavala's azure eyes narrowing at the Crucible Master just as Cayde stepped in, "Shaxx, are you listening to me?"

Annoyance can easily be sensed from the Crucible Handler as the latter turned from his pedestal, shifting his hands away from the console before him; a quick glance by Cayde revealed the names of the Guardians and Ghosts currently participating in the arenas upon the screen. He spotted Ianos' Fireteam and Fireteam Blaze's names on the lower left hand of the screen, unfortunately, even with his keen optics, he couldn't properly read what it was.

"The match continues."

Cayde couldn't help but take a step back as Zavala gave Shaxx a glare; here they go again.

"Would you like to tell me why you are refusing to cancel the match?"

An unimpressed look can easily be sensed from Shaxx, "There are protocols in the Crucible to ensure Guardians are unable to permanently kill each other." Cayde saw Zavala give his fellow Titan a doubtful look, "This applies to their Ghosts as well."

"That sounds new." It was Ikora who spoke, the Vanguard Warlock's words causing Cayde to give her a bewildered look before it finally clicked; of course, Ikora was a menace in the Crucible before her 'retirement'. It would make sense that she would know 'everything' when it comes to the arenas.

"Before the start of every match, I always give each Ghost an encryption, a code." Shaxx explained, "the encryption gives the Ghosts protection, a temporary shield you can call it." The Crucible Master then turned his attention back towards the console before him, his fingers shifting the multiple screens around, "It protects them from any firearm: Shotguns, snipers, even rocket launchers. 'Nothing' can get through to harm the Ghosts."

"Then explain to me what we just saw on the screen." Zavala snarled, Cayde watching as Shaxx once again turned his focus back towards the Titan Commander, "Ghost Ace was shot right out of Warlock Ianos' hand." He then nodded his head towards the larger screens currently viewed by the spectators, "And as you can see, they are not getting up."

At first, it seemed like as though Shaxx had been caught, Cayde leaning in as silence filtered in between the two Titans.

"Warlock Neve must have a powerful rifle then," If Zavala had not been furious beforehand, he was now, "Need to strengthen the code." Shaxx once again turned his attention back towards the console, "But I can assure you that Ghost Ace is still alive and active, my monitors show that their Light is still strong as ever. They must be simply knocked out."

Confused at the words of the Crucible Handler, Cayde found himself once again peeking at the monitor in front of Shaxx before understanding finally filtered into his sensors; now being properly informed of the contents, the Vanguard Hunter can now clearly see the lines next to each participants name, and next to each line, was their Ghosts. From his position, he can see Ace's line thrumming strongly, signifying the truth in Shaxx's words.

"The Crucible is more than a game, 'Commander'," Cayde flinched at the strain at Zavala's title emitting from Shaxx's lips, "It is to help hone the skills of Guardians, both Veterans and newborns, and prepares them for the field." He paused just long enough to move more screens around, "I have been watching over the Crucible for 'years', ensuring that other Guardians do not kill each other, Zavala. So, understand this." Shaxx then turned and a glare can be felt behind his helmet, "I know what I am saying when I say let the match continue."

Now Cayde had seen Zavala upset before, frustrated even, and on more than one occasion, disappointed. But, the rage, the anger he felt from the Titan, that was still foreign, still new to the Vanguard as the Hunter watched the Awoken Titan's hands curl into fists, easily seeing his jaw tighten, "You can say that so confidently after what happened with Thalor and Dredgen Yor?"

Cayde's optics bulged out of their sockets at Zavala's words, his jaw hanging open; did the Titan Commander 'really' bring 'that' up? It was a permanent mark in Crucible history, even the rookies heard of it sooner or later. The invisible Thalor, brought down by the corrupted Guardian, Dredgen Yor, after the champion Titan ended up being on the wrong end of Thorn. Cayde recalls that event perfectly, remembering that not long after Yor fled the arena, participation in the Crucible dropped; many Guardians, both young and old, feared that the fallen hero would return, and that they too would find themselves at the end of the corrupted Hand Cannon. It was an event that even Shaxx had a hard time facing.

Speaking of, Cayde suddenly found the Crucible Handler colliding into Zavala, his hands a tight grip on the Titan Commander's shoulders. In retaliation, the Awoken had braced himself, digging his feet into the marbled floor and his hands pressed against Shaxx's shoulders. However, instead of forcing the Titan Vanguard back, Cayde was surprised to see the trembling in the Crucible Master's arms, emotions that the Hunter would never dream of Shaxx expressing being clearly felt from the Titan.

"Did you think that I truly did not try to stop them?" Although a growl can be heard in Shaxx's voice, Cayde also sensed something else behind it, an emotion that he cannot quite pinpoint, "I tried transmatting Thalor out of there, tried convincing him to leave after seeing that Yor's weapon was not affected by my meager protocols I had back then. But Thalor insisted, claiming, 'declaring' that he could defeat 'him'." Cayde then watched as the Crucible Handler glanced momentarily towards the floor before lifting his chin, his grip tightening on Zavala's shoulders but not out of spite, but out of assurance, "Trust me on this, Zavala, when I say that I added in extra precautions to ensure that it 'never' happens again."

It was then Cayde saw Zavala fix his gaze onto Shaxx's face, his glowing eyes spotting the hidden expression of his fellow Titan before finally, a sigh can be heard from the Commander.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Shaxx." Zavala stated as he lowered his hands, signaling for the Crucible Handler to do the same.

Finding himself relaxing the intensity in his shoulders, Cayde shifted his attention back towards the screens just above the spectators; the Vanguard Hunter couldn't help but agree with the Titan Commander's words. Shaxx better know what he is doing.

Xxxxx

"Ace?" Ianos said quietly as he held the unmoving Ghost in his hands, kneeling on the hearth as he brushed his fingers over their optic; there was no obvious damage, but it was clear Ace was unconscious. He then felt a hand settle onto his shoulder, "Ianos, we have to take cover."

The Awoken Warlock shifted his attention upward, hesitating when he spotted Pluto's dark clad form, "But what about-"

"Angel will be able to resurrect in a few moments." Pluto assured, Ianos feeling the Hunter giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze, "However, we have to move, Nix confirmed that the rest of Neve's team are on their way here." Feeling the Hunter hook his arm underneath his, the Awoken used Pluto as leverage to help himself get back onto his feet.

However, before the Warlock can gain his bearings, he then felt hands shove him by the shoulder, causing him to stumble but somehow, remaining on his feet. Not long after, rapid shots rang through the air followed by the familiar sound of shields shattering, causing Ianos to glance over in time to see Pluto collapse, multiple entrance wounds seen on his back as he fell face forward. The Warlock wasted no time to turn and dash towards one of the many buildings, feeling bullets brush against his legs as he somehow managed to skid into one of the doorways and press himself against the walls.

"Come on, Ace, wake up," He hissed silently as he stared down at his cupped hands, spotting the steadily beating beads of light filtering through his Ghost's core; a sign that they are alive, "If I die while you are like this, you will be exposed and…" Ianos found his voice fading, unable to finish his sentence as he paled, "Damn it, she planned this, this is what she had wanted."

Clutching Ace's form close to his chest as the Awoken then heard heavy footsteps permeate nearby, Ianos cursed silently to himself as he realized the absence of his scout rifle, remembering tossing it to the side when Ace was shot out of the air. As such, he fumbled for the sidearm around his waist, hearing his heart beat loudly in his ears as the sounds of footsteps grew closer. Panic then took over as Ianos simply saw a foot take a step in before he aimed and fired. A howl signaled for the Awoken to run off once again, cursing under his breath as he once again heard the sounds of rapid fire ringing behind him but, somehow, he miraculously skidded around a corner, hearing the bullets pelt his meager cover instead.

"We need to find a way to better communicate." Ianos muttered as thoughts of his teammate's locations lingered to the front, scowling at Ace's unconscious form in his hands, "and be less dependent on you guys."

No sooner had the words left is lips when something hot pierced his leg, the sensation then quickly replaced by pain. Letting out a shout of agony, Ianos then found himself tumbling onto the dry hearth, feeling himself skidding forward before coming to a harsh stop. Grunting as a dull thrum permeated throughout his body, Ianos gritted his teeth as he shifted Ace's form close to himself with one hand before using the other to force himself onto his side, enabling him to glance down at his leg. Wincing as he immediately recognized the entrance wound, Ianos cursed at his luck as he saw the pool building up underneath him, forcing the Warlock to turn and sit with his legs out in front of him. Just as he started placing pressure onto the injured limb, he heard footsteps once more, and this time, Ianos took in a deep breath; with his current condition, he would just be further harming himself if he tries to run. For now, he was cornered. As such, he held Ace's form behind his back, just as he recognized Neve's red clad form approach, sniper in hand.

"What?" Ianos managed to call out, his orange eyes scanning the other five forms standing behind the female Warlock, "Too scared to face me alone?"

The Awoken didn't have to see Neve's face to sense the scowl behind her visor, "I am not an idiot, Black Death. With the Executioner around, I know I cannot get close enough to kill you." He heard her scoff, "I knew that you would be hiding behind him and the rest of your team like the coward you are."

"So, you made the decision that it was best to take them all out first?" Ianos received a nod of confirmation from Neve, "It was well worth the effort however, they can simply respawn."

A sense of uneasiness settled into the bottom of the Awoken's stomach when he heard Neve let out a snort, "By the time they resurrect and get here, it will be too late." He watched as the female Guardian lowered her sniper, allowing free use of one hand which she held out his way, "So tell me, where is your Ghost? I want to destroy it in front of you-" That is when Ianos heard her suddenly halt, feeling her eyes linger elsewhere. It took the Awoken only moments to follow her eyes towards the flickering bond around his arm.

"That's- That's Neptune's bond," A sense of anger can be heard in Neve's voice, "Where did you get that?!"

Contemplating on whether or not to answer truthfully, Ianos decided with his current situation, he cared little if things went for the worse or for the better, "Pluto gave it to me." The Awoken immediately felt the glare he received from Neve, "He said that Neptune would have wanted me to have it."

A brief moment of silence.

"I do not believe you." Ianos was not surprised by Neve's words, "Why would Neptune give his bond, a 'Stormcaller's' bond, to someone like you!? You! A Guardian tainted with Darkness and a murderer!"

Flinching at her words, Ianos pressed his free hand onto the dry hearth, attempting to lift himself just enough to use his good leg to gain some distance between himself and Neve; if she had noticed, she showed no sign of it as she continued, "Neptune mentored almost all of the Warlock's in the Tower and he chose you! Why!?"

That is when Ianos' mind lingered back, a sense of melancholy settling into his chest as he remembered Neptune's synthetic but gentle hands intertwine with his, the Exo Warlock's white optics brimming with kindness as the latter helped the Awoken onto his feet and spoke with calm that Ianos had not experienced in 'decades'. Neve would never understand the loss or the bond that he had with the late Warlock.

Nonetheless, he let out a hiss, "How am I supposed to know? I cannot read his mind."

Easily sensing the scowl behind Neve's helmet, Ianos paused as she held out her free hand, "Give it here."

He gave her a blank stare, "You are joking?"

A snarl can easily be heard from the female Guardian, "Give the bond here."

Although he gave Neve the best glare he could muster in his current situation, Ianos couldn't help but hesitate as his orange eyes lingered over the five other Guardians covering Neve's back, contemplating on his next choice of words.

"No."

Just as the answer left his lips, a high-powered shot rang through the air followed by Ianos feeling a hard and painful impact slam into his shoulder, feeling his body contort and turn to follow the hit. Before he can even comprehend what had happened, Ianos then felt weight press onto his chest and then felt hands clawing at the bond on his arm. Mentally apologizing to his Ghost, the Warlock reluctantly dropped Ace's unconscious form before clasping both his hands around Neve's wrists just as she had unclipped the armor piece from his person.

"This shouldn't be yours!" Ianos heard her shout as he felt her pull, his fingers barely keeping taught around her wrists, "A Guardian murderer and a Soldier of the Darkness should not deserve a bond from one of the most well renowned Guardians in history!"

"Who said that I was a Soldier of the Darkness!?" The Awoken found himself retorting, slipping his hands downwards before clasping down onto the edges of his bond, "And this bond is rightfully mine! Neptune gifted it to me! Pluto heard him say so!"

"Pluto is a liar and a traitor!" Anger filtered to the surface of Ianos' mind at Neve's words, "Anyone but you deserve this bond! Anyone but a murderer!"

Flinching at Neve's words, Ianos kept his grip strong as he felt the female Warlock pull once more, although concern grew in his mind as he felt the armor piece stretch and contort. Just as he was about to voice his concerns to Neve, a blur of movement caused him to startle, watching as something or 'someone' slammed into the female Warlock, and sent her flying, easily allowing Ianos easy movement as she landed at the feet of her shocked Fireteam.

"Death from above!"

Recognizing Carina's voice, Ianos barely had the time to spot her flying over his head and seeing the familiar energy of arc light blazing in her fists before she slammed them at the feet of the opposing team. Arc energy then exploded, surging forward as it latched onto the forms of Fireteam Blaze, releasing a barrage of immense light before finally, they were gone, leaving nothing behind but a mass of flickering light.

"Six kills! Multikill! Record!" Carina cheered, Ianos blinking as the female Titan jumped and down in celebration only to startle as he felt a hand clamp down onto his shoulder.

Snapping his attention upwards, the Warlock only relaxed when his eyes spotted Pluto's visor, feeling the Hunter give him another comforting squeeze before holding out his free hand; Ianos immediately recognized the black and orange shell in the Exo's palm.

"If we were in any other situation, I would have scolded you on how to keep Ace out of danger," Pluto chided as Ianos scooped his Ghost's form tenderly into his hands, "however, currently, I am glad that we made it in time."

"You were just fortunate that Akiva reacted quickly and punched Neve in the face." It was Aleeza, the female Awoken leaning forward and picking up the fallen bond before kneeling beside Ianos. Watching her hold up the bond and feeling her gaze lock onto his expectantly, the Awoken simply held out his arm, giving Aleeza permission to go ahead and clip the crackling arc bond around it, "Although I do believe that her being distracted by your bond was enough to give us time."

Responding with only a grunt, Ianos waited patiently until he heard the familiar 'click' of the bond clasping into place, signaling to the Awoken to press his free hand onto the hearth once more and push. Immediately he felt an arm lock on with his, allowing the Warlock to pull onto the appendage as leverage to get back onto his feet, only to let out a hiss as his injured leg protested. Feeling an arm wrap around his shoulders, Ianos then felt the grip coax him into leaning upon a shoulder, the Awoken only relenting when he glanced over and recognized Akiva.

"Let us just hope that once this is over, that Neve will keep her end of the bargain," Pluto stated as the Hunter took point, signaling to Akiva to gradually lead Ianos to follow, "if not, Ianos can easily press charges against her."

"Charges?" It was Angel who spoke this time, the younger Hunter approaching from the side with his hand cannon in his grasp, "for what?"

"Attempted murder," Ianos easily sensed the shock from the younger Guardian's at Pluto's answer, "As you know, Ghosts are limited in number and they are hailed as sacred thanks to the fact that they are small fragments of the Traveler's power." Nix's form then can be seen gliding over, flashes of light sparking from his broken optic; a sign that the viridian Ghost was leading the way, "Any harm to a Ghost by another Guardian or 'anyone' is considered taboo." Ianos watched Pluto tilt his head just slightly, "Usually execution is the punishment."

"What!?"

"There are a few exceptions when it comes to killing a Ghost of course," Aleeza butted in, "such as self-defense, signs of corruption, or simply to put one out of their misery."

Ianos couldn't help but scoff at that, "But rarely anyone will believe that." He felt all eyes upon him, "Once others see you kill a Ghost, they see you as a murderer."

A brief moment of silence before finally, it was broken by Angel, the young Hunter letting out a nervous laugh, "It sounds like as though you speak from experience, Ianos."

At that moment, Ianos found himself regret speaking, letting himself being temporarily loose lipped as he promptly turned and gave Angel a blank look.

Immediately, the younger Guardian went silent, Ianos seeing his shoulders leaning back, his body tense, "You… Did you really kill a Ghost?"

At that moment, the timer on Ianos' visor hit zero and Shaxx's voice resounded through the arena. However, although he can easily tell that his team won, the Crucible Handler's words of victory was no more than a dull thrum to the Awoken, letting the tense pause linger between everyone before finally, he responded, "Yes."

It was then he felt the familiar sensation of transmat overtaking his senses.


	10. Triggered

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Triggered_**

 _Firstly, I apologize for the sudden change in format for the title on this chapter. I never like how it looked but I didn't know how to make it look better up until now. To me, it looks better and more 'professional' and more eye pleasing than the other one. Less...childish I guess? Well that's my opinion anyway.  
_

 _Anyway, shout out for Forresfire for all those reviews they left behind! Really appreciate it! In all honesty, wasn't expecting any reviews on this story so imagine my surprise when I went and checked only to see a review lol._

 _Firstly, there is going to be a double update today. The reason? Well this chapter and the next chapter originally were suppose to be one chapter but when I finished, it was a whopping 12k words and I highly doubt that many people would be willing to read a long chapter like that, especially if they're short on time. So expect the next chapter to be up later today C:_

 ** _Edited: 8/19/2018_**

 _Cut off 'most' of unnecessary text and changed some paragraphs to better match future chapters._

* * *

"You know, Carina and Angel are going to ask questions once we land at the Tower."

Opting to say nothing to Akiva, Ianos simply tightened the ripped piece of cloth just above his leg wound, watching it stem the bleeding before he stated, "And I will simply answer that it is none of their concern."

"Traveler, kid, they're going to be a part of your team now." The Awoken simply let out a grunt at the Titan's words, "Least you can do is tell them your story."

Shifting his orange eyes towards Akiva as the latter kept his hands on the wheel of his ship although, Ianos saw the Titan turn his attention momentarily away from the front and towards him, concern lingering in his gaze, "You know as well as I do Ianos, that keeping it all in is not well for your health."

Letting a scowl form behind his helmet, Ianos simply said nothing before shifting his eyes forward, leaning back in the passenger seat as he stated, "I will think upon it."

"…That means no, doesn't it?"

Hearing Akiva let out a sigh as the Awoken said nothing once more, Ianos then shifted his attention towards his hands, letting relief filter into his senses as he heard Ace let out a groan, releasing his hold just enough for his Ghost to gradually hover in the air, "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Seeing Ace's orange optic flicker momentarily, Ianos waited patiently as the black and orange Ghost spun their back fins several times, "What happened? The last thing I remember was you lifting me towards Hope and – What happened to you!?"

Instinctively reaching up a hand and pressing onto the wound upon his shoulder, Ianos simply shrugged before answering, "Neve."

Letting the edges of their lips twitch as Ace let out a sputter, the Warlock then kept still as the Ghost hovered closer, light streaming from their optic, "How long was I out for? Not to mention did you even treat this? It is still streaming blood."

"I did the best I could alone." Ianos answered, letting his shoulders droop in relief as the pain slowly subsided, "however, it is difficult to tend to your own injuries when you take a bullet to the shoulder."

"Traveler, I am grateful Shaxx gave us the encryption," He heard Ace mutter, watching as his Ghost shifted away from the shoulder and to the leg injury, using their light to cut away at the makeshift tourniquet, "otherwise, I highly doubt I would have left that match with hardly a scratch."

"Well, I can tell you this," It was Akiva, the Titan keeping his eyes forward as he added, "After today, there will be no doubt Shaxx will strengthen the code." The human Guardian shrugged, "Although I am not sure how Neve was able to knock you out with that sniper shot, it shouldn't have happened."

"Knowing Neve, she and Ula must have found a way to break through some of the encryption." Ianos shifted his leg as Ace leaned back, examining his Ghost's handiwork, "although not enough to completely kill."

"As always, luck was on our side today," A heavy sigh can be heard from the black and orange Ghost, "speaking of, I am surprised that your gear has not been damaged during the match." Ianos heard his Ghost let out a thoughtful hum, "Although, I would say it is best to visit Matt once we reach the Tower, just to be safe."

Nodding his head once in agreement, Ianos then jumped as Akiva suddenly shouted, "We're home!"

Giving the Titan a narrowed glance as he watched the former shift his controls upwards, Ianos opted to remain silently and waited patiently in his seat as the sight of the Hangar gradually came into view. Letting his arms rest in his lap as the ship landed, Ianos felt his seat jump a bit before finally, the vehicle came to a slow and steady stop; immediately, a snort can be heard over Akiva's shoulders, "For once, you made a proper landing."

Glancing over to see Akiva place a hand onto his chest, Ianos then heard the Titan let out an exaggerated gasp as he turned to look over at Lex, "How can you say that? I performed plenty of 'proper' landings."

"Say that to the five ships that you crashed the past few years."

Amusement tugged at the back of Ianos' mind, causing the Warlock to raise a brow and ask, "How much glimmer did that cost you?"

"If you take your life span and then half the amount of glimmer you gathered that time, that much."

"Lex! Don't say that!"

Smirking behind his helmet as he sensed Akiva pout behind his visor, Ianos then quietly mused at the vast amount of glimmer the Titan had to spend to gain a new ship before steadily pushing himself up from his seat. Pressing down on the previously injured leg, Ianos nodded in appreciation when no pain permeated through the appendage and prompted him to step around his seat. Turning his attention towards Akiva, the Awoken parted his lips to ask the Titan to lower the ramp of his ship, only to pause as he saw the Titan's gaze glance over his shoulder, "What?"

Seeing Akiva's focus turn momentarily his way, Ianos raised a brow as the Titan hesitated before finally, he answered, "Look outside and see who landed nearby."

Scrunching his features together in bewilderment at Akiva's words, the Awoken then followed the Titan's advice only to pause as his eyes landed upon a red and black ship, the engine's barely dying down to signify the time of its landing. Neve's ship.

"I say keep Ace out of sight," Ianos turned his eyes back towards Akiva, "We're not sure what's going to happen once we step outside."

Nodding once in agreement to the Titan's words, Ianos then turned to Ace and held out his hand, signaling for the black and orange Ghost to glide over and disappear in the familiar flash of light. Feeling Ace's presence lingering within the back of his mind, Ianos then lowered his hand as he turned back towards Akiva, "… How much do you want to bet that Neve is going to try and kill me once we leave the safety of your ship?"

He saw the Titan tilt his head slightly as the latter contemplated, "I say a thousand glimmer that she tries to attack you but, Pluto gets in her way."

Letting a wry smile form onto his pale azure features, Ianos once again found himself nodding before he watched Akiva lean forward and press several buttons on the console of his ship, and then the familiar sound of the ramp disengaging rang from the back. He then saw the Titan turn his focus back towards him, "Be careful."

Opting to remain silent at Akiva's warning, Ianos simply waited as Akiva pushed himself up from his seat and headed towards the back, signaling to the Awoken to follow and exit down the ramp. No sooner had the pair done this when a sharp whistle rang from the entrance of the Hangar, prompting Ianos to snap his attention towards the source of the sound. Immediately, his orange eyes spotted the others, the violet clad form of Aleeza waving them down.

"Took you two long enough," The female Awoken beamed as they approached, Aleeza shifting her helmet underneath her arm before holding it up, signaling for her Ghost to materialize it into her vault, "Lost your way?"

"Yes," Ianos couldn't help the smirk as Akiva gave Lex a betrayed look, "how long have you all been waiting?"

"Not long, just a few minutes," Pluto answered as he removed his helmet and held it up, signaling for Nix to materialize into view long enough to take it from his hand, "We were just worried that Neve's team followed your ship and shot you out of the sky."

Raising a brow at the Hunter's words, Ianos pondered on a response only to quickly decide to say nothing; although doubtful at first, the Awoken Warlock then remembered Neve's penchant to be stubborn. Who knows? Perhaps she really did try to shoot Akiva and Ianos out of the sky only for the Titan unknowingly fly fast enough out of range.

"Who's ready to celebrate?" Aleeza's voice pulled Ianos' out of his thoughts, watching as the female Awoken suddenly wrapped her arms around the two younger Guardian's, "Party at the bar tonight, all on me."

This earned her a wide-eyed look from Angel, and with his helmet absent, Ianos can easily see the panic in the younger Guardian's eyes, "Wait, do you mean 'drinking' to celebrate?"

"What? You a lightweight?" Aleeza teased, Ianos watching with mild amusement as Angel's face flushed before the latter managed to stutter out, "I never drank before!"

"Then that ends today, kid." Akiva butted in, earning himself a gawking look from the young Hunter, "What?"

"I'm underage!"

"You look old enough!" Ianos watched as Angel squirmed underneath Aleeza's arms as the Awoken pulled him close, the latter of which then turned towards Carina, her crimson eyes twinkling, "And after having a night of drinks, how about we head over to my place and have some 'celebratory' fun?"

The Awoken then saw his fellow Warlock's smile broaden as Carina's optics lit up, a sign of her agreement, "Then let's say we head to our rooms, get cleaned up, and meet up at the bar later?"

Rolling his eyes as soon as Aleeza finished speaking, Ianos parted his lips to respond that, no, he was not interested in meeting at the bar when the Warlock saw movement approaching, just over the female Awoken's shoulders. Shifting his gaze over, Ianos couldn't help but scrunch his features together when he spotted Neve's familiar red garb form approaching, his orange eyes scanning the five other Guardians trailing behind her.

"Or not." Hearing Aleeza add into her statement, Ianos momentarily glanced over to his fellow Warlock only to reel back when he then saw the female Awoken, Carina and Akiva takes steps forward, convening just in front of Ianos to keep him out of sight. Or, at least their best attempt as Ianos easily towered above the Exo Titan, allowing him to see the scowl upon Neve's face as she kept her helmet tucked underneath her arm.

Not long after the three Guardians formed the living barricade, Ianos then spotted Pluto walking around them, only coming to a pause when he stood between Akiva and the others and Neve and her Fireteam. Watching Pluto straighten out his shoulders, his arms in front, Ianos can tell that the blind Exo was composing himself, further proven when he heard the Exo ask, "May we help you?"

Neve then came to a halt just short of Pluto, her green eyes flicking over to Ianos, allowing the Awoken Warlock to see the shimmering visages of rage in her gaze, "I want his head."

The Warlock couldn't help the sigh that permeated from his lips; why was he not surprised?

"We had a deal, Neve." Ianos heard Pluto retort, not having to see the Exo's face to sense the scowl that the blind Guardian gave to the female Guardian, "We won, you lost."

"Just let me kill him once!"

Neve's sudden outburst caused Ianos to jump, the Awoken reeling back as he saw his fellow Warlock take steps forward, only to witness Pluto reach out and shove her shoulder, causing Neve to stumble back. This immediately set the members of her team to raise their hands, Ianos watching as their fingers wrapped around the handles of their weapons as Neve gave Pluto a glower; in response, the Exo glared back.

"You do not know the whole story."

Hearing Pluto snarl out his words, Ianos couldn't help but let guilt simmer into his chest, especially so when the flames of anger grew in Neve's eyes, "And I should believe a single word 'he' has to say?" Ianos watched her sneer behind the safety of his team, "I want retribution for the death of my husband and unborn child." He saw her gaze shift towards him, their eyes momentarily locking, "Let me kill him once and I will call it even."

"I do not trust you on that."

Snapping his attention towards Pluto, Ianos parted his lips to question 'why not?' when he saw it; flickers of orange and red dancing around Neve's fingers, solar burning in her eyes. This prompted Ianos to take in a breath and take steps back, hearing Ace's worry permeating in the back of his mind. That is when he then saw Pluto fluidly remove his knife from his belt, flaunting the weapon in his hands at the oncoming threat; in reaction to this, the lone Hunter of Neve's team did the same, signaling to the others to completely heft their weapons into their hands. Ianos saw Akiva and the others mimic their movements.

"Walk away, Neve." Pluto warned, Ianos spotting flickers of void light lingering between his fingertips.

Shifting his attention warily back towards Neve, the Awoken Warlock watched as the female Guardian dropped the headpiece that was underneath her arm, the helmet letting out a loud 'thunk' as it landed upon the Hangar floor and rolled a small distance away.

"No."

That is when flames flashed into Ianos' vision followed by the heat, causing swells of panic to build up in his chest as he stumbled back.

"Ianos? Ianos, deep breaths, calm yourself."

Although taking in rapid breaths as per advice of his Ghost, Ianos found himself unable to breath, feeling as if his lungs were being constricted as his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Then, as the visage of the Guardian's fiery form took steps forward, he took in deep breath, and screamed.

Xxxxx

Pluto was ready so swing his knife into Neve's neck when she bloomed into full Radiance, but then he heard Ianos' terrified cries emitting from behind. Dread building up in his stomach, the blind Exo shoved aside Neve's threat and turned around, only for Nix's scans to finally be sent towards his optics.

The Awoken Warlock had fallen to the floor and had scrambled back until he was against the rails near the stairs, head in his hands, knees to his chest as his form trembled. Cursing under his breath, the blind Exo shoved his way towards Akiva, Carina, and Aleeza, ignoring their looks of shock as he reached out towards the Awoken. He felt a hand slapping his away in response.

"Stay away from me!"

Although hurt at the gesture, Pluto found himself lowering his voice, especially so after he noticed the tinges of fear lingering in the Awoken's words, "Ianos, it is me, Pluto."

"No!" The blind Exo reeled back at Ianos' outburst before feeling hands grabbing him by the front of his armor followed by being pulled in, "Take me instead! Leave him be! Leave him be!"

That is when Ianos' screaming intensified, Pluto feeling the Awoken's hands release him, only to hear the tell-tale sound of panicked patting; the Hunter knows what was coming next.

"It burns!" He heard Ianos wail as Nix sent him scans once more, the lined visage of Ianos patting his arms and body, as if to put himself out, "Make it stop! It burns!"

Cursing under his breath once more, Pluto directed his attention towards Angel, "Do you know where the Medical Wing is?" Sensing the shock emit from the young Hunter, Pluto heard a stutter that somewhat resembled a 'yes', prompting the blind Exo to add, "Then quickly and grab Matt."

"Who?"

"Dark hair, brown eyes, glasses, always walking around in that white coat of his," Pluto snapped, "Now hurry!"

Immediately hearing rapid footsteps leave their number, Pluto turned his attention back towards Ianos, and not long after, he sensed the familiar hum of light permeating through the air, followed by the sound of a Ghost taking solid form.

"Ianos!" Pluto recognized the voice of Ace, "Snap out of it! You are safe! You are not on the Moon anymore! You are at the Tower!"

"Save him!" The Ghost's words only seemed to aggravate the Awoken Warlock, "Save him! He is still alive! The fire! It burns! Save him! He is still breathing! Save him!"

Flinching at the words flowing from Ianos' lips, Pluto immediately leaped forward when Nix's scans showed Ianos clawing at his head, his fingers easily tearing the life-sustaining tubes from his helmet. As he grabbed the Awoken's shoulder, an agonized wail then echoed from the Warlock, prompting worry and guilt to build up within Pluto's chest before he turned towards the Titan of their group, "Akiva! Help me!"

Feeling hands reach out and dig into the bracers on his arms, Pluto silently apologized under his breath before throwing Ianos to the floor, hearing the Awoken's movements became more desperate as his panic was aimed towards the Hunter instead of himself. Ignoring fingers clawing in between the cracks of his armor, Pluto instead grabbed one of the Ianos' flailing arms before pinning it to the floor, only to hear the Warlock let out another scream. Just as Nix's scans showed Ianos reaching out with his free hand, it was then he sensed Akiva on his opposing side and judging from the way Ianos's movements became more frantic, feeling the Awoken kick beneath him, the Titan had successfully pinned the Warlock's remaining arm.

"Ace."

Signaling to the Ghost to move in, Pluto let out a grunt as Ianos bucked underneath him, opting to ignore the pleading words permeating from the Warlock; who said that scholars were weak? It was just a struggle to keep Ianos' arms pinned down.

"He did not do anything serious." Pluto heard Ace speak, hearing the hum of light dissipating from the Ghost, "Just pulled the tubes out of their sockets, nothing tore, so it should be an easy fix." Relief flooded into the blind Exo's senses at Ace's words, "But, just to be safe, we should get Matt to check on him."

As if on cue, pair of footsteps can be heard entering the Hangar, followed by the familiar voice of Matt cursing under his breath, "Not again."

Nix's scans showing images of the Medic running towards them, Pluto made just enough rom to allow the human space to kneel down, and attempted to reach over, only to reel back as Ianos let out another scream, "Traveler damn it, who did this to him?"

"We will talk about that later," Pluto managed out as Ianos let out one large kick, causing the Hunter to nearly lose his grip, "but for now, we need to calm him down first."

"Calm him, right." Hearing Matt mutter next to him, the blind Exo then sensed the Medic reach down to his waist before leaning over Ianos. It was then Nix's scans filtered into Pluto's optics, allowing to see Matt stab something into the Awoken's chest, causing the Hunter to hear Ianos let out a gasp before suddenly going limp. Worry immediately filtered to the front of Pluto's mind, "What was…"

"I just sedated him, don't worry." Despite the Medic's words, the Hunter found himself worrying nonetheless, "Just someone help me get him to the Medical Wing? He needs immediate attention, now."

"I'll go." Pluto snapped his attention towards Akiva, "You just stay here and deal with…the aftermath."

Understanding the hint in the Titan's tone, the blind Exo momentarily hesitated before nodding, finally taking his hands off of Ianos long enough to sense Akiva scoop the unconscious Warlock into his arms and follow Matt out of the Hangar. Waiting until he was sure that they were out, Pluto then turned his attention towards Neve, easily sensing the Radiance now gone, only to be replaced by shock; this allowed the Hunter to let his anger boil to the surface, "Are you satisfied now, Neve? You just caused Ianos to relive one of his most traumatic experiences in his life."

"But, I just turned on Radiance. I didn't even touch him or-"

"Anything that is related to fire is enough to trigger the memories." The Exo Hunter snarled out, "and thanks you to, Ianos was forced to relive the last few visages of his time on the Moon."

Pluto easily sensed the bewilderment from Neve, "But, his last few moments on the moon was –"

"Do not speak of those accursed rumors unless you have the entire story!" The Exo Hunter sensed his outburst caused not only Neve and her team, but the younger of their number to reel back; he ignored them, "Did you know that it took him 'years' to get past the experiences he had on the Moon? Years to even recount on how he and the Fireteam he was sent out with were all kill or burned alive?" Pluto found himself placing hands onto Neve's shoulders, feeling his grip tighten as his anger continued to grow; he once again opted to ignore the female Warlock's flinch, "Imagine, flames burning through your armor, your skin, your 'flesh' as you were forced to watch another fellow Guardian go through the same experience, with the exception that they lacked their Ghost." He pulled Neve closer, hoping his blind optics stared into her blue, "He went through unimaginable agony to bring the Fireteam back but in the end, all he has are the memories of his failures." Pushing himself away from the female Warlock, Pluto gave her one last glare before he finished, "If that is not punishable enough for your husband and your unborn child, then I say the problem is not with Ianos, the problem lies within you."

He then turned on his heels and stomped towards the exit, ignoring the looks he received from passerby as Pluto made his way into the Plaza.

"Pluto?"

"What?" The blind Exo immediately paused as he realized he snapped at his own Ghost, prompting him to reach up and pinch the bridge of his nose as he sighed, "My apologies, Nix, I…."

"No, no, no need for apologies," He heard the viridian Ghost brush it off, "This is, after all, not the first time Ianos had an attack." A sigh can be heard from Nix, "We just had hoped he would have recovered from it all."

Flinching at his Ghost's words, Pluto then shoved his worries to the side, attempting to regain his composure as he asked, "What is it that you needed?"

"Well, not what 'I' needed." He heard Nix clarify, "But there was an incoming frequency from Cayde."

A momentary pause, "What?"

"He left a message, it says that he wants you to meet him and the others at the Hall of Guardians. Says it is important."

Frowning at the words of his Ghost, Pluto contemplating on the meaning of Cayde's summons before he heard multiple rapid footsteps approaching behind; not long after, Nix's scans revealed to him the forms of Aleeza, Carina, and Angel.

"What was-"

"Cayde-6 requested for me to meet him at the Hall of Guardians," Pluto intentionally interrupted Angel's question, easily sensing his fellow Hunter's irritation, "You may all go on ahead and celebrate our victory without us."

"But, Ianos…"

"I will go visit him after I am done meeting with the Vanguard," Pluto added, easily sensing the worried looks he received from the younger Guardians, "until then, you are all free to do whatever you wish."

With his words spoken, Pluto then hurried his steps, leaving the three bewildered Guardians behind.

Xxxxx

Carina was unsure of what to say as the three of them stood in the Plaza, watching as the blind Hunter disappeared down the steps. The female Exo then reprimanded herself. What is she supposed to say? 'Hey Pluto! We all just witnessed Ianos collapse to the floor in a heap, screaming about being burned alive! Can we ask what happened!?' Yeah, like he was going to answer their questions.

"Who wants to come with me to visit Ianos?"

The Exo Titan snapped her head towards Aleeza, her violet optics wide, "What? Why?"

"I want answers," Carina couldn't help but find it slightly unnerving that the soft smile that was usually on Aleeza's face was replaced by a more unreadable expression, "and did you hear what that Medic said? 'Not again'."

"So, in other words, you think that he will have the answers?" It was Angel who asked, Carina hearing him let out an exasperated sigh as Aleeza nodded, "What makes you think that he's going to answer our questions? What if he's just as secretive as Pluto and Ianos are?"

Mentally agreeing with the Hunter, Carina then paused when she spotted the cheeky little grin forming onto the female Awoken's features, "Wouldn't hurt to ask."

Then, before she or Angel could make any sound of protest, Aleeza had grabbed then by the arms and by an amazing example of strength, had managed to drag both of the newborn Guardians.

"Wait!" Carina heard Angel protest, watching as the Hunter dug the heels of his feet into the marbled floors, and couldn't help a tinge of mirth form in her chest as his boots squeaked across, "Don't Carina and I get a say in this?"

"Oh don't play innocent with me." Aleeza chirped, her pace unfazed as Angel continued to skid across the floor, "you are just as curious as I am."

The female Titan grinned at this, "She isn't technically wrong."

Laughing as her fellow Guardian let out a groan, Carina then saw a glimmer of interest flash into Angel's eyes before finally, she watched him lift his feet, following the pace of the female Warlock as they entered the halls leading to the Medical Wing.

Xxxxx

"You rang?"

Seeing the three Vanguards turn their heads towards him through Nix's scans, Pluto then crossed his arms as he saw Cayde perk up, "Lovebird! You got here quickly. Great match by the way."

The blind Exo rolled his optics in response to the Vanguard Hunter's words before approaching the table, "Let us just skip the pleasantries and get this over with. I have to head to the Medical Wing to check on Ianos' condition."

A pause immediately permeated through the room quickly followed by Ikora asking, "Did something happen?"

Pluto turned and glowered at the female Warlock, "What happens when a Guardian with an instilled phobia of flames witness a Sunsinger in full Radiance?"

"Let me guess, Neve?" A sigh can be heard from Ikora as Pluto nodded, "Why in the Traveler did she activate her Radiance in the Tower?"

"She refused to keep her end of the bargain," The blind Exo answered as he crossed his arms, ignoring the surprise emanating from the three Guardians before him, "I was wrong to think that Neve would keep her promise."

"Indeed." It was Zavala who spoke, a hum permeating from the Awoken Titan, "we will speak with Warlock Neve about her actions later, however, we have another matter at hand."

Pluto scrunched his features together at the Vanguard Commander's words, "This isn't just about the Crucible Match?"

"In part." Ikora answered, "The three of us watched your performance, live, at the Crucible and it is to say that we were impressed."

The blind Exo couldn't help but raise a brow as Zavala added, "Despite the circumstances of the match, you were able to reevaluate the situation and adjusted your team's tactics, all with little to no protest from the others."

"I hardly did anything," Pluto found himself retorting, a sense of uneasiness building up in his chest, "and not to mention that I find it strange that you are stalling what you really want to say." He rolled his optics at the stunned silence he received, "Just get on with it."

"C-Congratulations!" He heard Cayde manage to stutter out, "You are now the leader of your new Fireteam."

Now it was Pluto's turn to pause, "What?"

"Your new Fireteam," The Vanguard Hunter clarified, "Your Little Light, the somehow genetically related Human and Awoken twins, the two newborns, and of course, you."

"…What?" Pluto found himself repeating, "Me? You want me, to be the leader of Ianos' Fireteam?"

"It's either you or he Nova Bomb's another potential team off the Tower."

"But why?" A scowl quickly replaced the bewilderment, "I have a Clan to rebuild."

"Who's to say that you can't lead a Fireteam and rebuild a Clan at the same time?"

"I cannot do that-"

"You are more than capable, Hunter Pluto." The Exo turned and glowered at Zavala as the latter continued, "Over the years, I have not only witnessed you maintain the Clan Galaxy, but also tutor notorious Fireteams." Pluto felt the Awoken Commander's eyes narrow into a glance in his direction, "Considering that Warlock Ianos, Titan Akiva, and Warlock Aleeza needs aid in moving past their experiences with previous teams and Hunter Angel and Titan Carina are still newborns, the three of us decided it was best for you to be the Fireteam Leader. You may build your Clan on the side if you wish, however, your main focus is the team until they are deemed fit to work on their own. Is that clear?"

"No." Pluto snarled out, gritting his jaw as he gripped his arms, "Despite their experiences, Ianos, Akiva, and Aleeza have enough experience under them to lead the team, even with their previous losses." He slowly walked forward until he was close enough to place his hands onto to table and Pluto leaned in, "I made a promise to Neptune that I am going to rebuild the Clan and despite my concerns for Little Light, Galaxy is my main priority. Is 'that' clear?"

"Hunter Pluto-"

"Zavala." Hearing Ikora's voice break in, Pluto then heard the female Vanguard let out a sigh, "Hunter Pluto, there is another reason why the three of us selected you as Leader of Ianos' Fireteam."

Taking in the female Warlock's words, the blind Exo found himself pausing, feeling the anger fade from his shoulders and curiosity and confusion taking its place, "What do you mean?"

"Well there goes that part of the plan."

"Cayde." Another sigh can be heard from Ikora, "Initially, we had wanted to keep it secret, hidden until you have grown comfortable with the position. It seems that is not going to be the case."

Releasing a scoff in response to the female Warlock's words, Pluto pushed himself off the table and crossed his arms once more as Ikora continued, "As you may understand, Warlock Ianos' condition has not stabilized the past few years, and everyone is growing concerned that the corruption will soon consume him."

"Everyone?" Pluto repeated, his blind optics narrowing behind his blindfold, "Does that include the Vanguard or was it just the judgement of the Consensus?"

"Pluto, please." The Exo Hunter scowled as Ikora continued, "Although fearful of his condition, the Speaker and the Vanguard were able to convince the others to give Warlock Ianos time, and after a long debate, it was decided that he is to be placed under watch, more specifically, under yours."

"For the reason that he would not suspect his mentor to take his life if he were to turn corrupted?"

"For the reason that you have the best insight when it comes corruption and Guardians." Pluto scoffed at Ikora's words, "we believe that with your years of cutting down those infected with the Darkness, that you would take initiative when it comes to Warlock Ianos." That is when he heard the female Warlock pause, a quick second of hesitation before she finally finished, "We just hope that your relationship with him won't cloud your judgement."

"Cloud my, judgement?" That is when Pluto felt the familiar warmth of light permeate from his fingertips, lowering his hands and placing them onto the table once more, "What makes you think with my history, that I would allow my bond with Little Light to 'cloud my judgement'?" Digging his fingers into the surface of the table, the blind Exo continued without waiting for an answer, "Do you know how many of my clan mates, how many of my 'brothers and sisters' that I had to kill just for the reason that their light could not be saved? How many I had to kill just for the reason that they simply do not want to see the result of prolonged corruption?"

"Pluto, we do not mean to-"

The Exo Hunter lifted up a hand and slammed it back onto the table, feeling it sink into the metal surface, "Do not make excuses! You simply wanted me to be Fireteam leader so I would have to be the one to kill Little Light and not you! You do not want to dirty your hands just as the others who refused to 'execute' my clan mates for the reason that they do not want to spill 'Guardian blood'!" Forcing himself to push away from the table once more, Pluto continued, "Well I have news for you all. All of us, all of us who predated the time of the City, our hands are already dirty with the blood of our fellow Chosen." His tone then turned dark as he added, "And you know as well as I do that there will be a day when a war between fellow Guardians would occur and it will be inevitable. Not with all our power, all our strengths, our 'immortality'."

Pausing long enough to wait for an answer, Pluto then sighed before shaking his hands, ridding the last remnants of light from his fingertips as he forced his light back into control although, still felt it burn deeply within his chest, "You will have to take responsibility for Guardians corrupted when they arrive on your doorstep however, for now, I will take leadership of Ianos' Fireteam but not for the reason of your orders." He then narrowed his blind optics once more in the direction of the Vanguard, "I will do it for the reason that he is still under my protection, and my stance will remain clear: 'anyone' who tries to do him harm, will face the consequences."

Then, without another word, the Exo Hunter turned and left.

Xxxxx

Despite Carina's perception of Ianos' age, the young Titan couldn't help but find it amusing that in a span of a month she had seen the Awoken Warlock unconscious in bed, however, this didn't stop the worry tugging at the back of her mind as she watched him sleep, her violet optics eyeing the multiple tubes wrapped around his lips and arms that connected to the machinery just near his bedside. She was unsure of their function, but from the way that the Medic – Matt if she recalls – was busily checking on their status and continuously glancing over at Ianos for a reaction, that Carina can guess that they played an important role on the Awoken's well-being.

"That should do it," The Exo Titan shifted her attention towards the Medic, just in time to see him let out a breath of relief and then leaning against the counter behind him, a hand over his shoulder, "Now to tend to my own wound."

That is when Carina let out a flinch, remembering walking into the room with Aleeza and Angel in time to see Ianos awake, snarling and fighting against Akiva and Matt as they attempted to hold him down, the Medic screaming incoherent words in an attempt to bring the Warlock back to reality. She remembers witnessing the Medic pressing a hand onto Ianos' shoulder only for the Warlock to let out a yelp, as if the touch itself had done him harm, before snapping out a hand and digging his fingers into Matt's shoulder. Thanks to the white of his coat, it was easy to see that Ianos had drawn blood, the familiar crimson color slipping through the threads of the Medic's clothes before finally, it was Ace who had to calm Ianos down, releasing constant flow of light while speaking soothingly towards the Awoken. How Matt seemed unaffected by the injury was a wonder to the young Titan, especially so when she saw him slip off his coat and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing the steady stream of blood cascading down his shoulder.

That is when Carina spotted movement near the edges of her optic, prompting her to glance over and see Akiva approach Matt, spotting the tired look in the human Titan's eye as the latter asked, "Do you need any help?"

Seeing the Medic reel back, his brown eyes blinking rapidly as he fixed his eyes upon Akiva's form, Carina then saw a smile form onto his fair features, "Thank you for the offer however, this isn't the first time I got injured by a patient, I can manage a wound like this on my own."

Watching as Akiva nodded once to signify his understanding, Carina then couldn't help but pause when she saw the way his golden eyes traced over Matt's form, his stare way too intense as the Medic had picked up a cloth to start cleaning the wound, "You were a Guardian once, weren't you?"

That got a choke out of Carina, the female Titan hearing Angel let out a sputter as Matt paused, his brown eyes staring wide eyed at Akiva before it softened followed by a nod, "Yes, I was." A strained smile soon faded onto Matt's face, "What gave that away?"

"It is true Medics get harmed while treating some patients." Carina turned and gave her fellow Titan a bewildered stare, "However, you didn't react, not even a flinch." Akiva's face scrunched together, as if in thought, "Only an individual familiar with pain has that high of a tolerance and most of that number are amongst the Guardians. Considering that you were in the Tower 'years' before I was even resurrected, it didn't take long to put it together." The Titan then shifted his shoulder up and down, "Don't know why it took me so long to figure it out."

A laugh then can be heard from Matt, "No need to worry, Akiva. I may have treated you for years, but you aren't the only one amongst my patients who do not know of my past as a Guardian." Carina then jumped as the Medic turned his brown eyes towards her and the others, the female Titan watching Angel's shoulder stiffen from the corner of her gaze, "and if you do not mind, I would rather keep it that way."

"R-Right." Carina heard Angel manage to stutter out before she spotted her fellow Guardian's eyes scan the room, his gaze flicking about before she heard him ask, "Although, I am curious, you say that you were a Guardian previously?" The Hunter received a nod as an answer, "Then, where is your Ghost?"

"Angel."

The warning was quick, hushed, and strict, Carina turning her attention towards Aleeza only to reel back as she saw the female Awoken's crimson eyes narrowed, a look of upset clear upon her features. At first, confused as to why Aleeza was angry at Angel's question, Carina then understood when grief flashed over Matt's eyes followed by his hand settling over his chest; a sinking feeling entered her stomach.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Angel caught onto the severity of his question, "I didn't mean…"

"It is alright, Cecilia's passing is as it is, the past." Carina couldn't help but doubt the strained smile the Medic gave them, "I have moved on." She then heard him pause momentarily followed by a sheepish shrug, "Mostly."

Watching the man then turn his attention back towards his injury, the female Exo couldn't help but give the former Guardian an empathetic look. She may only have been alive a little over a year, but Carina cannot fathom a life without Spears, let alone a life where he is killed, and judging from the way Matt had reacted towards Angel's question, the loss would affect a Guardian for a lifetime. The Exo Titan then cannot help but wonder; despite his small size, Spears was still damaged by Fallen scouts. What is to say that it won't happen again and this time, the damage would be lethal.

 _{"Despite your insistence to tell others not to worry about me, you do enough worry yourself"}_ Carina heard Spears murmur through their bond, feeling a gentle tug pulling from the Ghost's end, _{"But, there is no need to be concerned over my safety. I have you, don't I? And as long as I have you, I will be safe."}_

Feeling another gentle caress through their bond, Carina found a wry smile forming onto her metallic features and responded with a small pull of her own, hearing Spears let out a soft hum in her mind in reaction. Catching movement, the Exo Titan shifted her attention in time to see Angel taking tentative steps forward, and although his eyes remained wary, the familiar sparkle of curiosity can be seen, "What class were you?"

Watching Matt turn his attention back towards Angel, Carina saw the Medic blink before another smile formed onto his pale features although, this one was genuine, "Warlock, mastered void before trying a hand on arc."

Angel's eyes beamed at the former Guardian's answer, "And how did that go?"

"I died." Carina snorted at the wide-eyed look Angel gave him, "It was not meant to be I suppose."

Snickering as the Hunter continued to gape at the Medic, Carina then found her own question growing, prompting her to ask, "Are you still able to access your light?"

Seeing the smile broaden on Matt's face, Carina's violet optics then widen as the Medic held up a hand and familiar wisps of void light danced around his fingertips, "…Well, that answers my question."

Hearing Matt chuckle in response to her words, the Exo Titan then watched him focus back to his injured shoulder, seeing him finally secure the patch over the wound before shifting his attention back towards the group, "Just because my Ghost is gone does not mean I cannot wield the Light." He then pushed himself off the counter, turned, and started cleaning the supplies around him, "It is just that if I were to die, there is no coming back."

Flinching at his words, Carina simply stood in the strained silence as the Medic continued to clean, hearing him let out a hum, "But that does not mean that I fear death, there are times when I do miss the chaos of the battlefield." That is when the Exo Titan spotted a glimmer in his eyes, a spark, "I still remember the adrenaline, the excitement of dodging hostile fire while returning some of your own, and then, releasing the light after building up all that time, watching as your enemies fall."

Hearing the glee in his tone, Carina couldn't help but smile as Matt paused before hearing him let out a cough, "But, that is all in the past, I am needed here now." She then watched him turn and Matt smiled, "Now that I have tended to my own injury, Akiva, how are you faring?"

"Oh no," Carina turned in time to see Akiva's posture stiffen, his hands raised in defense, "We are not playing therapy here, Matt."

"Then how about you, Aleeza?" The female Titan saw the Awoken in question stiffen as Mat turned his eyes towards her, "The last time I saw you was several decades ago."

"I-I'm fine," Carina heard Aleeza force out, although the Titan noted the way her fingers curled into fists and her smile seemed forced, "I just needed time on my own, is all."

That is when the female Exo saw Matt's smile falter, and saw his eyes narrow, "Akiva, Aleeza, I know the two of you had suffered losses, but keeping it in is not going to help you move on."

"We have each other." Carina heard Akiva blurted out, Matt giving the human Titan a bewildered look, "Aleeza and I, we discovered that we were family. We were sharing our stories with each other the past few years, that's why you haven't seen us lately."

Seeing Matt frown at their words, Carina couldn't help but sense the doubt emitting from the Medic however, nonetheless, the former Guardian nodded, signifying his understanding, "Guess it is better to have one outlet then none." A sigh then can be heard from Matt before she spotted his eyes shifting over to where Ianos laid, "Better than having no one."

It took moments for Carina to understand his words, "Wait, are you saying that despite being Ianos' Medic for 'decades', that you have no idea why he is like this?"

"If you want an honest answer, no one does," The female Titan found her jaw dropping at Matt's words, "Not even Ace."

"Are you saying that not even his Ghost knows?" It was Angel who asked, Carina seeing his green eyes growing wide, "How does a Guardian collapse onto the floor, screaming about fire but their Ghost knows 'nothing'?"

Matt simply gave the group a shrug, "Not certain, all I know is that at one point, Ace was knocked unconscious during an incursion on the Moon and that when they woke up, Ianos apparently has been through hell and back. They have no idea what happened to place their Guardian into such a condition."

Dimming her lights as she took in the Medic's words, Carina found herself glancing over to Ianos' bed, spotting the black and orange form of Ace resting in the crook of the Awoken's neck, "So, in other words, you are saying that Ianos is the only one that knows, but refuses to say anything?"

A nod from Matt followed by a shrug, "Not sure why but, it is unhealthy, as you can see." The Medic then released a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, "However, it is impossible to make Ianos recount the incident, he usually just dodges the question and changes the subject."

"More than likely because he doesn't want to relive it," Carina snapped her attention towards Akiva, seeing the Titan's golden eyes narrowed, "It is not easy recounting a harrowing experience, especially against the Hive."

"The Hive?" Carina watched Angel turn his eyes towards Akiva, "the beings living on the Moon? You faced them?"

No sooner had the Hunter's question left his lips when he received a dark look from Akiva, Carina seeing her fellow Guardian reel back at the sudden change in demeanor before it quickly faded, the human Titan blinking rapidly before his expression went blank, "… I need a drink."

"Count me in."

Turning her attention towards Aleeza, Carina found herself saying nothing as she watched the female Awoken follow her twin out of the room, leaving Angel, Matt, and herself with Ianos' resting form.

"You two are newborns, I can tell." The silence was broken by Matt, prompting Carina to turn her attention back towards the Medic, "the amount of questions you asked, it gave it away."

Feeling her core heat up her face, Carina then spotted Angel's face flush, prompting the female Exo to quietly thank for her lack of organic qualities before she asked, "Did we say something wrong?"

Instead of an immediate answer, she received a hum from Matt, "In part." She watched as his eyes shifted over her and Angel's form, spotting a softness followed by a warning, "You are still young, and as such, it can be glanced over. However, please do be careful on what you ask in the future, some topics are, 'sensitive' for some, especially amongst the Veteran Guardians."

"You mean the ones that hit over fifty years?" A quizzical look can be seen on Angel's face, "Why?"

"Traveler above, the innocence of newborns," Carina couldn't help but blink at Matt's words, "You have to understand, despite the glories that others speak of, the fighting, the war, it is not a pretty sight." She then watched his features scrunch together, his eyes growing distant in thought, "Imagine, living for years, decades, forming bonds with others of your kin only to watch them die in front of your eyes, or witnessing horrors that the Darkness threw at you, horrors that many would not like to repeat." Matt's eyes then lingered back over to Ianos' bedside, "Horrors that 'he' wouldn't even want to recount."

That is when the weight of Matt's words hit Carina's chest, her violet optics widening as she finally understood; they do not age and they are practically immortal. Guardians can last years, decades, lifetimes in fighting against the Darkness and they would remain the same the day they were resurrected. Carina found herself gulping, her gaze shifting towards Ianos. If she can recall correctly, she had heard that the Awoken had lived for 'hundreds' of years, if he had experienced a horror that he wouldn't dare even speak of, what other traumatic events had he partaken in? She then paused, what events had Pluto, Akiva, and Aleeza had partaken in, there was no doubt that they were all decades older than Angel and herself. Shifting her optics towards the Hunter in question, Carina saw his eyes were wide, his mouth gaping open; it was apparent he understood the meaning behind Matt's words as well.

"I am sorry you have to hear it this way." Carina turned her attention back towards Matt, "However, with half your team having decades of experience under their belt, do be careful on what you say in the future, alright?"

Slowly nodding to show that she understands, the female Titan then found herself glancing over Ianos one final time before finally exiting the room, sensing Angel trailing after her.

Xxxxx

"Hey! That was mine!"

"Oh, come on! You drank a whole bottle already! I say I get a share!"

"But I paid for that!"

"We agreed that whoever drinks the most pays, remember? But if you are insistent-"

"You are not taking advantage of my drunk-addled brain, Aleeza! Bartender! Another round!"

Watching as the frame poured the twins another glass of whiskey, Lex found himself sighing heavily as the Guardian pair drained their cups just as quickly was it was being filled, "I had thought that they would speak to each other, but it seems that their competitiveness won over."

"As long as Aleeza isn't an emotional mess, I will take this anyway day," Lena huffed out, the female Ghost whirling her ruby and white fins before shifted her crimson optic his way, "Remember the time on Mars where we found an underground vault?"

Lex let out a groan, "That file that we had found that matched the name and features of one of her previous lovers, she was mourning for 'weeks'. And during that time Akiva had to keep the Cabal at bay."

"And that, was just one of her 'smaller' episodes." Lex couldn't help but give Lena a flabbergasted look, "however, I do have to admit, after meeting you and Akiva, her grief, it got better." The male Ghost paused as he saw a softness enter Lena's usual strict optic, "she is slowly moving on."

Taking in the female Ghost's words, Lex turned his attention back to the twins, letting out a sigh as he heard the pair continue to squabble and laugh, "I wish it was the same for mine."


	11. Sympathy

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Sympathy**_

* * *

 _Here's the other chapter that I promised today! I apologize for updating it so late, the reason was that when I reread it, I was not pleased with one part of the chapter so I completely redid it...took me longer than I had anticipated. Anyway, I also apologize if you expected a lot more 'action' or something of that sort but this chapter is going to have a lot of dialogue...at least I think so._

 ** _Update: 5/9/2016_**

 _Made some changes to this chapter as when I reread it, wasn't too please on how it turned out. So if you come back and saw something different, you'll know why._

* * *

"So, what's the plan now?"

Neve glanced up from her seat, her green eyes fixating onto the lone hunter of her team, Jordan, as he tossed his knife up in the air, catching it continuously before continuing the pattern, his hazel eyes staring back through his brown strands, "Do we still go after Black Death?"

Blinking momentarily, the female Warlock just sighed as she leaned back in the chair she was seated upon, placing her hands over her eyes as the rest of her team stared curiously at her, waiting for an answer. After the spectacle at the Hangar, the group headed towards their group apartments, the room big enough to house the Fireteam with separate bedrooms for each individual alongside with the essential utilities for a living space. They were crowded around in the living room area still clad in armor minus their helmet, taking seats on the couches in an attempt to figure out what to do next.

Neve was seated on the single person couch at the head of the living area, marking her as the leader and the head planner of the group. Being the oldest and most experience, the team thought she would best fit the title as leader.

Spirit-9, or Spirit, was seated next to her on a three person couch, the Exo nervously twirling his hand cannon in his hands as he watched Neve from his seat. Despite the rumors of his feelings towards the female Warlock, in truth, Spirit saw her a model/sisterly figure, the older Warlock having saved him back on Venus against the Vex. Although her rescue did not help his now debilitating fear of the unknown hive mind.

Ria-15 was seated next to the dark green Exo, her white optics clashing against her red plating, easily dwarfing the smaller Warlock as she placed her hands on her lap, her patient gaze waiting for a response from their human Leader. Although second tallest, Ria is the youngest of the group, having only joined the team a few months prior. This however, did not deter the young Exo's loyalty to both her team and her duties.

Jordan, the lone hunter of the team, was seated next to the female Exo, now fiddling with his knife in his hands as he too waited for an answer. He is the second oldest of the group, resurrected just a few months after Neve and like many Hunters, he spent most of his years out in the wilds, which many believes is the reason for his dark skin, although he constantly retorts that it is indeed his natural skin color. The group's self-proclaimed sniper, he is the one everyone depends on when going out into the unknown.

Alyx, like Ria, is a Titan and the Defender of the group. If the time calls for it, he will become the shield of the team and rush head first into enemy lines if he sees any of the other team members in trouble. Nicknamed 'Gentle giant', Alyx is the lone Awoken, easily seen with his obvious blue features and his luminescent green eyes, his white strands pulled back in a low ponytail. Dwarfing any Guardian nearby, he is currently seated on a two person couch opposite of Spirit.

The third Titan of the team, Leonard, was seated next to Ria, grumbling under his breath with his arms crossed in front of him. Although a Titan, Leonard, or Leo as the rest of his team like to call him, is considered lean for his class, although that does not stop him from wielding his arc light and charging into battle. His brown hues narrowed behind his blonde strands, it was obvious that the fair skinned human was sore about the loss in the Crucible, from the way he silently cursed under his breath.

In general, Fireteam Blaze had not expected a loss. They had expected to win easily and end the life of the cursed Guardian. But what they hadn't anticipated was not only Pluto joined into the game, but also Akiva, known as the Bull, to join in as well. This completely turned the tides and the team were shocked to find themselves at a loss. As such, to help sate the vengeance of their leader, Neve, they thought convincing Pluto to let them kill Ianos momentarily will be enough. But the way they saw the Guardian just fall to the floor when the female Warlock activated her Radiance, they couldn't bring themselves to attack. Even if he was a Guardian tainted with Darkness, how can they attack him in such a state? Not even Neve's thirst for vengeance was enough to overcome her sense of guilt when she saw Ianos scream and cry on the floor in the Hangar, calling out for the supposed teammate that he saw burn alive in front of his eyes.

"I-" Neve started but a loud knock emitted from the door of their home, causing everyone to suddenly sit up in alert.

"Neve?" The knocking resumed again, "We need to talk."

"Pluto?" Neve stood up from her seat, her green eyes narrowing in bewilderment and curiosity before turning them towards Spirit, who simply shrugged.

The knocking resumed once more, "Come on Neve, I know you're in there with your team. Open the door or I'm going to shoot it down."

Blinking once, Jordan turned his hazel eyes towards Neve, "Is he serious?"

The Hunter's jaw dropped when Neve nodded, "He's serious."

"Shit," Jordan quickly jumped from his seat and dashed towards the door and swung it open, just in time for everyone in the room to see Pluto loading up his Scout rifle, the blind Exo staring blankly ahead of him.

"Oh, good, you answered," The blind Exo then held up his weapon, signaling to Nix to glide over only to bump into the rifle, causing Pluto to quickly state, "Careful Nix."

"Forgot, scanner," The viridian ghost shook his body side to side before his red optic flickered to life, his light breaking down the Scout Rifle to be stored into the Vault, "Done."

"You're kidding," Leo sat up in his seat, his brown eyes wide, "You two are blind?"

Pluto turned his blind gaze towards the human, "Yes, and…?"

"Then how are you able to shoot at us like as though it's nothing?!"

The Exo Hunter simply shrugged, "Improvisation?"

"Bullshit" Leo grumbled as he fell back onto his seat once more and crossed his arms, his lips pursed into a pout.

Pluto just shrugged once more, "Believe what you want to believe." He paused when he heard Nix glide past him, going around and scanning the area until their light paused on Neve, who gave the Ghost a puzzled look, "But right now, I want to speak with Neve."

"And for what reason?" Alyx sat up straight, his glowing hues eyeing the Exo suspiciously, "Is this about Black Death?"

Silence soon followed the words of the Awoken, leaving Pluto standing with his hands clasped together in front as Nix glided back over to his Guardian, "Yes and no."

"Yes and No?" Alyx repeated, earning himself a nod from the Exo, "anything about Black Death you can easily speak about it to the rest of us."

"It's about the circumstances of her husband and unborn child's death," Pluto immediately stated, causing the rest of the room to go silent, "however, if Neve wants the rest of you to listen, I'll let you, but only by her permission."

Feeling all eyes now on her, Neve hesitated, her green hues glancing back and forth between the blind Exo and her team, the latter glancing over to their leader in both curiosity and concern.

"My team is my family." She stated, earning a couple of smiles amongst her Fireteam, "So whatever you have to say, you can freely say it in front of them as well."

"Good, good," Pluto then stepped inside, slowly waiting for Nix to send him scans to the room before he came to a pause at the end of the living room, gesturing for both Neve and Jordan to take their seats in which the two of them complied, "So, tell me your side of the story Neve? What happened on that fateful day on the moon?"

Almost immediately, Neve's eyes narrowed in fury, her nails digging into the arms of the chair she sat upon, immediately receiving looks of concern from her Fireteam, "Do I have to say it again? The three of us were assigned to patrol the moon and Black Death led my husband and I near the entrance to the Hellmouth. It was there that the three of us were ambushed and we were forced off the edge into its mouth." Gritting her teeth, Neve continued, "And it was during our attempts to escape that Black Death killed my husband and left me for dead in an attempt to save himself. I lived but it resulted in the death of my…" Her voice faded and her fingers' grip on the arm of her seat slacked as grief overtook her, "My child, my unborn child." Taking in a shuddering breath, Neve then turned her gaze back towards Pluto and glared, "And it was because of that coward."

"He has a name and it's Ianos," Pluto frowned, Nix twirling their parts in response, "And are you sure that's the whole story?"

"I'm certain of it," Neve spat, "How can I forget such betrayal?"

"What about your Ghost, did she show you any files based on the incident?"

This caused Neve to blink, her rage sudden subsiding as her thoughts wondered to her small AI companion, "N-No, any attempts to bring any files up of that incident just brings up static, blanks, nothing."

It was then the female Warlock noticed the way Pluto's demeanor changed, his blind gaze fully fixating onto her. At first, from the way his hands tighten around each other, Neve thought his Exo equivalent of a scowl was aimed at her, but then the female Warlock sensed the unease of her Ghost, the AI giving off the feeling to get away from the glare of the blind Exo as she hid in her Guardian's armor, making Neve confused. Is Pluto angry at her Ghost? The human Warlock had no time to further process the question, as her attention snapped back onto the Blind Exo as he sighed.

"Then how are you certain that your memory is correct?"

Hearing the words of the Exo Hunter, fury arose in Neve's chest as she leaned forward and snarled, "Oh? And how are you so certain that Black Death is 'innocent' of his cowardice?"

"Because I was there."

Almost instantly, the room went quiet, Neve leaning back in her chair as her eyes widen in surprise and shock, "W-what?"

"I was there" Pluto repeated, holding out his hand to signal to Nix to scan their way onto his Guardian's palm, "It was true Ianos led the two of you to the Hellmouth but it was not intentional. He had planned to go on his own but the two of you convinced him to let you two tag along. Before you three were forced off the edge by Hive, he sent not only me but Neptune an alert for help." The Exo then sighed, shaking his head as he added, "By the time we were able to make it down, it was too late."

"Too… late?" Neve repeated, her words causing the blind Exo to turn his blind optics towards her.

"Ricard's light had been devoured by the Darkness," Pluto stated, causing Neve to go silent, her jaw slightly ajar as the Exo continued, "He had been turned and he attacked both you and Ianos. When Neptune and I got there, he had already gotten to you, he…" The Exo stopped, tilting his head towards the ground as he felt Nix bump into his head as if to comfort his Guardian, "He had torn you apart and Ianos was trying to keep him off of what was left of your remains, screaming about your unborn child but the damage had been done." Pluto shook his head, "I didn't want to do it but the Ricard we knew was far too gone, he even destroyed his own Ghost when corruption overtook him." Standing in silence, Pluto waited momentarily for a response, continuing when he received none, "We were able to resurrect you but you were unconscious. Ianos explained to me that you two were caught off guard from Ricard's sudden corruption and that you were killed too quickly to realize who your killer was. So he told me to keep the truth in secret, to let your memories shift and create what had happened down there."

Silence permeated throughout the room, all eyes on the blind Exo were wide in shock but some held certain disbelief, as if contemplating the words of the Hunter as false.

"I-I don't believe you," Neve whispered, her fingers curling on the arm of her chair, "I don't believe…"

This caused the Exo to sigh, "Nix."

The blind Ghost turned his dead optic towards his Guardian, letting out his scans to ensure he got the nod of approval from the blind Exo. Nodding his body once, Nix turned his attention to Fireteam, "Normally I would play the recording but with my optic in its current state, I need a volunteer."

Gaining puzzled looks from the Fireteam, it was Spirit who discovered what the blind Ghost had meant and in return held out his palm, summoning his green Ghost in his hands who immediately glided over. Sending out scans to locate said Ghost, Nix carefully glided over and expanded his parts, signaling to the other Ghost to do the same. Light then spread from Nix's broken optic and into Spirit's Ghost and almost immediately a screen popped up across the room, startling the occupants as the screen played static before it cleared.

 _"We can't save them both, Little Light."_

The voice immediately sprang familiarity with Neve before her green eyes widen as the screen focused onto the familiar form of the black and blue clad Exo Warlock, his black and white Ghost hovering above his shoulder as he knelt over the kneeling form of Ianos, the latter having his Ghost out in his hand and holding them over something that his body obscured.

The screen shows Ianos pausing as Ace continued to pour light into whatever he was trying to save, and he shook his head, causing Neptune to sigh.

 _"I-I have to save both. If Neve wakes up to not only find her husband dead but also her-"_

 _"Her Ghost just said she can't resurrect them both, she can only save one, and the child cannot survive outside of their mother's womb. We did everything we could." Neptune placed a comforting hand onto Ianos' shoulder, "We did everything we could."_

It was then a sigh could be heard out of view and then the screen shifted towards a nearby body and almost immediately, Neve took in a breath, shock clear in her eyes as her jaws hung open. The body was of Ricard, his red and blue armor turned black from corruption. His visor was cracked to a singular point near where his forehead should be, the bullet hole ensuring that he had a quick death.

 _"We'll do what we can to comfort her."_ The screen then turned back to the two warlocks, _"But for now, we have to get out of here. Resurrect her and we'll tell her everything back at the Tower."_

It was then Ianos went silent, his shoulders slumping down as Ace shifted their work, instead beaming his light into Neve's Ghost who had floated into perspective, helping the red ghost speed up her resurrection process.

 _"No, don't tell her the truth."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Let her mind wonder and fill in the gaps. I don't want her to wake up knowing that her husband had turned dark and taken away their child from her."_

 _"But the darkness here already gotten to her! Might not have tainted her light, yes, but it has affected her mind! Who knows what it will do! It might even might make her think that you were responsible for this!"_

The screen shows Ianos looking back and forth between the two bodies of the Guardians before he let out a grieved chuckle, _"If that's what she wants to believe then let her. I want her to remember that her husband died as a Guardian, not as a monster."_

The screen then suddenly snapped out of view, causing Neve's team to shake the shock from their system, turning their gaze towards their leader. Expecting rage and doubt, the team were instead shocked to find Neve's expression blank, her body stiff against the chair she sat upon, her grip on the arms in a death grip.

"Neve?" Spirit called out tentatively, only to reel back when the female Warlock abruptly stood up, her gaze staring blankly ahead as she muttered, "I need time alone."

With that, she swiftly exited the room, leaving many of the Guardians present confounded. Quickly assessing the situation, Alyx pushed himself out of his seat and followed the Fireteam Leader to her room, disappearing into one of the halls as the rest of the team watched.

Blinking once, Ria turned her white optics towards Jordan, the Hunter having stood up and now pacing nervously back and forth in the living area, "Should we-"

"Alyx got that covered," Jordan interrupted, causing the female Exo to turn her gaze towards the floor, twiddling her fingers together as the Hunter added, "Traveler, what did you do to her?"

"I revealed the truth," Pluto stated, earning a glare from human Titan of the team, "What did you expect me to say when I came in here? That she was right? That the loss of her husband and child gave her to right to throw accusations around?"

"But look at her now!" Leo snarled as he stood up from his seat, Ria quickly reaching out and latching onto his wrist, holding the human Titan back as he growled, "She's in shock! No thanks to you!"

"Would you rather let her live in a lie then?" Pluto turned his blind gaze towards the Human Guardian and glared through his makeshift blindfold, "Let her falsely believe that Ianos was the one who took her family away? Let her believe that if she kills the one supposedly responsible for their deaths that it will give her peace?"

"But it let her keep going!" Leo roared, startling the veteran Guardian as he continued, "She had a reason to keep going! But now who knows what will happen now that there is nothing keeping her attached here!"

"What makes you think that she will give up on life?" Pluto asked, earning another glare from the human, "She has nothing?" He scoffed, "She has you." This caused Leo to pause as the Exo Hunter continued, "She has all of you. Her Fireteam. Her Family. That should be enough to keep her here. If not, then she never considered you as her comrade in arms."

"Well-I-" Leo stumbled over his words, coming to a pause once more when Pluto heaved out a sigh.

"If you are really concerned for her where she'll take to a situation like that, then keep a close eye on her. I'll be back."

"Wait, what?" Spirit stood up from his stead when the Exo Hunter turned and headed towards the door, "Where are you going?"

"Grabbing a friend." Was all the Hunter said before he exited the room, leaving the rest of Fireteam Blaze to turn and glance at each other, bewildered by the veteran Guardian's words.

Xxxxx

Ula hovered nearby as her green optic glanced over at her Guardian worriedly, the female Warlock lying on her side on her bed, her back turned towards the door. Earlier, the familiar accent of the Awoken Titan tentatively called out to Neve followed by the occasional knock. Now it was quiet, but the red Ghost wouldn't doubt that Alyx was standing outside of the door, ready to barge in if the female Warlock does anything drastic.

"Ula?"

Hearing her Guardian call out to her, the Ghost glided over to her Guardian's face, the Warlock's tired gaze fixating onto the small AI, "You knew, didn't you?"

The Ghost slightly recoiled from the female Guardian's question and instead of answering, she stayed quiet, her green optic turning towards the floor in shame. This earned the small Ghost a weary chuckle, "I thought so, from the look Pluto gave you earlier."

"I…I promised Ianos to stay quiet, no matter what happens," Ula explained as she lifted her gaze back up to her Guardian, "he says to make sure you have a reason to stay. Even if it is…I'm sorry."

A tired sigh escaped the female Warlock before a small smile faded onto her fair features, startling the Ghost before the small AI saw the hand raised, signaling to Ula to glide over and nestle into the human's palm. It was then Ula felt Neve bring her closer to her chest, feeling her shell press against cloth as hands cupped her closer.

"I'm sorry," Ula repeated, feeling her Guardian shake as she held her close.

Xxxxx

Lex glided over to his Guardian only to shake his body as Akiva hummed to himself happily, the Titan leaning against Pluto for support, the latter leading the drunk Guardian towards their destination.

"Can't you sober him up, even a little?" The Exo Hunter grumbled, grunting when he felt the Human Titan lean on him further, tilting his head back to take another gulp of the bottle he has in his hands, "or at least take that away from him?

"Hey, if I could I would have done it a long time ago." Lex deadpanned, "it was just a miracle that you were able to get Aleeza away from him."

Hearing the name of the female Awoken, Pluto couldn't help but mentally smirk. He knew that Aleeza would refuse to leave her twin's side, especially with how currently emotionally unstable he was, so the Exo enacted a simple plan. He dragged Carina into it. Pluto knew that Aleeza has an attraction for the silver Exo, the way her crimson eyes seem to brighten every time the Exo Titan walks into a room. So all he had to say was Carina was at her apartment waiting for her, and in her drunken stupor, the female Warlock believed him and stumbled her way out of the bar, much to Akiva's dismay which he voiced loudly, calling after his twin as Pluto pulled him onto his feet and started leading him to Fireteam Blaze's place of living. On their way there, the human Titan had quieted down and instead had taken to drinking the bottle that he had somehow grabbed before being pulled away from the bar, much to both Pluto and Lex's chagrin.

"Where are we going?" Akiva slurred as he stumbled over his feet, nearly pulling the Exo Hunter to the ground before regaining his balance, earning a look from the blind Exo, "I mean, we're not going to your place are we? You have a partner to be loyal to you know?"

Processing the words of the human Titan, Pluto's mouth hung open as he slowly realized what the human Titan was hinting at.

"Fuck no, we're not doing that!" Pluto sputtered, earning a confused look from Akiva, "We're bringing you to meet Neve."

Akiva's eyes instantly narrowed, a frown forming onto his pale features, "Neve? Why are we meeting her?"

"Sober enough to understand that much, eh?" Pluto grunted as he finally made it to their destination before lifting up on of his legs and slamming his foot against the door, causing it to swing open and slam onto the wall.

"Hey! There is such a thing as knocking!"

"There is no way I am taking one of my hands off of this lug," Pluto nodded his head towards the drunk Titan as he led him into the room, "someone help me, he still has his armor on and he isn't exactly what you call 'light'?"

"I'm not that heavy."

"Says the Guardian who weighs like a ton." Feeling Akiva shifting his weight onto someone else, Pluto slid his hands off of the human Titan's arms as he grunted, rolling his shoulders in time for Nix to materialize and scan their surroundings to show Ria and Spirit lowering Akiva onto one of their couches, the Titan waving them off once they were done, "Where's Neve?"

"She's in her room, Alyx is keeping an eye on her," Jordan responded, keeping a wary eye on the drunk Titan who in turn gave him a glare, "Want us to grab her?"

Pluto nodded, "If you are able that is."

Returning the gesture with a nod of his own, Jordan turned his hazel eyes towards Leo who diverted their attention away from Akiva long enough to notice the Hunter's stare on him before rushing off into one of the rooms. Moments later, the white haired Guardian exited the room with Neve in his arms, Leo walking alongside the two as they made it to the living room and carefully placed Neve on the single person couch. As soon as the pair moved away from her, Neve lifted her gaze up towards Pluto, her green hues dazed as she asked, "What is it?"

Hearing the weariness in her voice, Pluto nodded his head towards Akiva, causing the Warlock's eyes to turn and focus on the drunk Titan, "I want you two to talk."

That's when a disbelieving snort escaped the female Warlock, "Talk? Talk about what? How my husband turned dark and took my child away from me? Or how he lost his entire Fireteam to Crota in less than a few minutes?"

"More than that." Pluto responded, earning a bewildered look from everyone present in the room before the Hunter approached the drunk Titan, the latter giving him a puzzled look as the Exo added, "Akiva, we need to talk about Maylea."

Almost instantly, sorrow and guilt flashed in the human Titan's eyes, causing the human to drop his bottle to the floor, the contents spilling out as Akiva muttered, "What about her?"

"You always talk about her, and how no one will understand your loss, well," Pluto then nodded his head towards Neve who stared at the two confounded, "here's your chance."

The drunk Titan glanced back and forth between the Exo and the human before he let out a snort, shaking his head as he stated, "I don't know what you're talking about."

This caused Pluto to frown, "Akiva, you know as well as I do that that not many things get pass me without me catching word of it."

The human Guardian then shrugged, "And?"

"I know of her bloodlines, Akiva," The Titan went stiff, his golden eyes going wide at the Exo as the latter stated, "I know who her parents are."

"W-what m-makes you think that she was born?" Akiva pushed himself up from his seat, "You know as well as I do that Guardians cannot be born, they are resurrected."

"Unless they are born with a Guardian as a parent," Pluto retorted, his jaw clenching together as he growled, "Maylea was my student. Do you not think I would have not seen the signs when I tutored her? Her face, her eyes, her smile. They are all an exact replica of you."

"That means nothing," Akiva spat, his golden eyes narrowing at Pluto, "So what if she looks like me? That doesn't mean-"

"She told me, Akiva," This caused the Titan to go silent, "She told me that you were her father."

That's when several members of Fireteam Blaze let out audible gasps, even Neve's eyes were wide as Pluto continued, "She told me how you went into the City and how you saved her mother from a bunch of thugs. And about that one night the two of you spent together. That night that sired May."

The Exo then paused, waiting for Akiva to respond as the Titan leaned back in his seat once more, and this time placing a hand over his eyes as Lex hovered nearby, spinning his back parts in concern.

"Her name was Darnell," Akiva whispered, immediately catching the attention of everyone in the room, "I met her during one of my many trips to the City. At the Market of all places." He let out a soft snort as he thought back to pleasant memories, "She was selling what they called fish, Salmon, she told me. Very rare delicacy she says. So of course I bought some and I have to say, it was one of the best decisions I ever made." He paused, letting a smile fade onto his pale features as he continued, "I visited her every day after that, buying more of what she has and having an idle chat if the two of us have time." Akiva then sighed, "Then one day, a bunch of thugs came by and decided to bother her, asking for certain 'services' if you know what I mean." The Titan let out a single scoff before he shook his head, "Cowardly lot, picking on the weak. Just one punch to the face and they were off like a bunch of dregs. After that I helped her clean up shop and brought her home." He then chuckled, "You know, May wasn't completely telling you the truth when she said it was one night. After that day, it was many nights, and I have to say, if it wasn't for the fact that my duties as a Guardian came first, I would have asked her to marry me." Akiva's smile seem to shine as he continued, "Darnell was kind and patient, always tending to me whenever I came over with scrapes and bruises, scolding me when I tell her stories of my mishaps." The smile then faded from his features, "Then one day she just upped and left. No note, no sign of why, she never gave me a reason." The Titan sighed, "At first, I was hurt. I thought I had done something wrong. But then a few years later, when I exited the Tower to head into the City, May was standing there, bags in hand, a determined look on her face." A laugh then escaped the human, startling many of the occupants in the room as he shook his head, "She latched herself onto me, claiming over and over again that she was my daughter and refusing to quiet down until I brought her into the Tower, telling anyone who asks that I was just taking her around on a tour, and then hid her in my quarters. Then from there, I took some strands of her hair and took it to Matt, who ran some tests and sure enough, it was a match." The smile once again faded from his lips, "That's when I realized why Darnell left. If I had known that she was with child, I would have abandoned my duties as a Guardian, left the Tower completely to help care for our child. She didn't want me to be distracted."

Pausing on his words, Akiva let out a long sigh before removing one of his hands from his eyes and waved for his Ghost to glide over, murmuring under his breath as soon as Lex was in hearing distance. Moments passed before the yellow and white Ghost bobbed up and down before a stream of light flowed from his optic and onto his Guardian, helping him sober up before the Titan continued.

"I knew the dangers of children born from Guardians, so I kept her a secret from everyone by hiding her in my apartment. I didn't want 'anyone' to know, even my allies, in fear that somehow, they'll let it slide that she was my child." Lowering both hands onto the sofa, Akiva let out another sigh, "I thought she would despise me for making her stay inside but to my surprise, she did not fight, not once. She completely understood the situation and not once, did she say she hated me for it." A bitter laugh escaped the Titan, "As the years passed, I made promises to her that I'll find a way for her to see the world once more, and do you know what she'll do?" The edges of his lips turned upward as tears brimmed at the edge of his eyes, "She'll smile and laugh. May had no doubts when I made that promise." The smile fading once more, Akiva lazily turned his head towards Lex who let his light fade from his optic, his golden optic blinking at their Guardian, "And that opportunity to keep that promise came when May's Ghost came and found her."

The human Titan then paused, staring at his Ghost before holding up his hand, signaling to Lex to slowly glide over and place himself in the palms of their Guardian, his golden optic staring intensely as Akiva let out a small snort, bringing his Ghost over and placing the yellow and white Ghost in his lap.

"Honestly, I was hesitant when May reached out and connected with her Ghost," Akiva admitted as he cupped Lex in between his hands, causing the Ghost to glance up at his Guardian, "but the way her eyes lit up and how the two chattered excitedly, I decided to give it a chance." Closing his eyes, Akiva added, "We made up a false background. Maylea or preference, May, is a Guardian found in the Cosmodrome with no memory of her past or her last name, and showed skills of being a Hunter." Another smile flickered onto his pale features, "She was so happy when she received her first cloak and the two of us formed a team as we went onto missions. Time passed, and soon, we formed the Chargers." A sad chuckle escaped the human, "We were all such a happy family." The smile then faded from his lips as Akiva opened his eyes, "That day, the day of the raid, a terrible feeling overcame me. Something horrible was going to happen when one of my team members brought up the problem of Crota and all of made the decision to take him down." He paused, cupping his Ghost tighter in his hands, Lex immediately scrunching himself together to give himself room, "I asked May to stay at the Tower but she insisted on going. Her duty as a Guardian comes first, that the fate of the City and the entire Sol System was more important than her life. So I relented." Pushing himself into a seating position, Akiva loosen his grasp on his Ghost who took the opportunity to glide out of his Guardian's hands before turning around and giving the Titan a concerned stare, "She thought she could distract him from behind but Crota…Crota he-" His voice cracked as tears fell from his eyes, the Titan shook as he buried his face in his hands, "I should have made her stay, I should have left her behind." Akiva sobbed, "Traveler, my sweet little girl. Why did you take her away from me? Why?"

Watching his comrade grieve through Nix's scans, a pungent of guilt hit the Exo through the chest. Maybe he shouldn't have made Akiva tell them about May, at least, not like this. As such, Pluto raised a hand to comfort the Titan, only to pause as Nix scans shows Neve standing up from her seat, approaching the grieving Titan and seated next to him. And it was then, she placed a comforting hand onto Akiva's shoulder, causing the human Guardian to lift his head just slightly to glance at her from behind his hands, his golden eyes showing both sorrow and bewilderment as Neve reached out with her free hand and pushed his hands down onto his lap.

"No matter the age or time of death, a loss of a child is always hard on a parent," Neve stated, the weariness still present in her eyes but unlike before, it held more color, more life, "As such, whenever a fellow Guardian offers their apologies of my loss, I always shrugged it off. How can they know that sense of loss? The loss of your own flesh and blood?" The female Warlock sighed as she shook her head, "My child may not have been born into the world, but it was enough for me to be blinded by grief and rage that I have not considered that there was a possibility that there was another Guardian within this very Tower who had experienced that loss. And perhaps in a worse tragedy than I." Neve then slipped her gentle grasp from his shoulder and tenderly entwined her fingers around the Titan's, earning another puzzled look that soon softened, his golden eyes still holding signs of grief but comfort started to fill in as Neve said, "I was never able to raise a child since I lost mine before it even had a chance to take its first breath. So, if I may ask, how was it? Raising May?"

Blinking once, a smile twitched at the edge of Akiva's lips before he let out a small chuckle, "I wasn't there to raise her when she was born, but, when she was a child she would always ask many questions, especially when it came to my life as a Guardian."

Listening to the two Guardians converse, Pluto let a smile fade onto his metallic plates before he let out a quiet whistle, catching the attention of Fireteam Blaze. Nodding his head towards the others room, the younger Guardians slowly understood Pluto's gestures, and although reluctant, especially Spirit and Jordan, the group slowly and quietly made their way to their rooms, leaving Akiva and Neve speaking to each other. Listening for a moment longer, Pluto then turned and exited the living quarters, closing the door behind him as the two Guardians spoke in peace.


	12. Old Friends

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Old Friends**_

* * *

 _I couldn't think up of a better title than this so yeah fjdlkasfjdsf_

 _Anyway, enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

A soft grunt escaped from the Eliksni as he peeked his head over the rusted car that he used for cover, his four eyes keeping track of the guards at the doors. From the way they leaned against the walls with their weapons propped against the wall beside them and the way the humans yawned, Oraxsis knew that they were cocky, arrogant enough to think that the patrols that the Guardians perform were enough to keep their wall safe. Letting out another grunt, the large Eliksni crouched back down, turning his luminescent eyes towards a fellow Eliksni next to him, the latter tilting their head in curiosity.

" _Any openings?"_ The smaller Eliksni asked hopefully, only for her shoulders to droop as Oraxsis shook his head before she perked up, _"Want me to get closer? I can find an opening. I'm smaller and I have stealth, I can-"_

" _No."_ Oraxsis watched as the smaller Eliksni's eyes fell, " _Their wall has no weakness, only the arrogance of the guards. The Guardians always ensure that their walls are strong and sturdy in case of an attack."_

" _Then what do we do?"_

Letting out a huff, Oraxsis turned his four eyes back towards the gate before turning his attention towards the Vandal, " _Can your stealth work with more than one?"_

That's when the smaller Eliksni perked up, nodding furiously, _"Yes, of course! Even with someone of your size, Baron Oraxsis."_

Letting out another soft grunt, Oraxsis knelt down and motioned for the young Vandal to climb on to his back, the latter immediately crawled over and latched her lower arms onto his shoulders before placing her legs into straps just below the Baron's lower arms, leaving her upper arms free to do whatever they wish.

" _When the gates open, activate your stealth."_ Oraxsis ordered, feeling the Vandal nod against his back, " _Keep it up as long as you can."_

Feeling the younger Eliksni shift around, Oraxsis then heard the female Vandal ask, " _Are we going to charge in?"_

Letting a small smirk flash onto his leathery features, Oraxsis nodded, only to feel the Vandal's front arms now latch onto his shoulders, " _Oh no."_

It was then the Baron glanced up in time to witness the guard's gesture for the gates to open as a group of refugees approached, the latter more than happy to enter the last safe haven on earth.

" _Get ready."_ Oraxsis muttered, hearing the female Vandal nod behind his back before he dashed forward, signaling to the small Eliksni to activate her stealth shields, the cloak shimmering to life around the two Eliksni right before they approach the field view of the Guards. Growling under his breath, Oraxsis the leaped forward, flying over the heads of the refugees before landing heavily on the opposing side of the gates. It was then the crackle of energy shimmered in the Baron's ears before hearing the female Vandal curse, causing Oraxsis to stand and glance down at his hands only to see the stealth cloak vanish, leaving the refugees and guards screaming behind him.

" _My apologies, Baron,"_ Oraxsis felt the Vandal lean her head against his back, _"I have overestimated my cloaking. I-"_

" _It worked long enough for us to get through and that is enough."_ The Baron glanced over his shoulder, only to recognize the shimmering of the Vandal's stealth cloak still active over the smaller Eliksni, " _Just stay hidden until I command otherwise, understand?"_

" _I understand, my Baron."_

Hearing the guards screaming orders, Oraxsis turned and pressed a button on wrist guards, activating his shields in time for bullets to harmlessly pelt it, causing the slugs to fall harmlessly to the ground. Letting out a roar, Oraxsis slowly back up until he was sure the humans were out of bullets before turning and running towards the tallest location in sight: The Tower.

Xxxxx

Ianos watched from afar as Akiva and Neve chattered happily near the Cryptarch Rahool, the latter having gotten a hand on an exotic weapon. What kind eludes the Warlock as his eyes cannot spot the weapon, but apparently it was good enough for Neve to examine it before nodding, confirming that she is going to use the weapon out in the field before holding it up for her Ghost to materialize into her Vault.

"To think, that the person who wanted to kill us a few months ago is now an ally," Ace commented as they too watched the events unfold, "Which reminds me, are you still sour that Pluto told Neve?"

Instead of immediately responding, Ianos just sighed, closing his eyes behind his helmet as he leaned his head back against the wall he was using for support, "I just wished that he would have waited for me to her the truth."

Blinking once, Ace bobbed their body once up and down before stating, "I understand where you are coming from but I don't think Pluto was willing to wait weeks for you to wake up."

This earned the Ghost a single snort, but it was enough to tell Ace that they were right. The Awoken Warlock stayed unconscious for weeks, worrying the others up until he woke up. Groggy and confused, But alive. And Stable. In those short weeks, a lot has happened, so he was surprised when he gained the news that not only Pluto was going to lead their new Fireteam, but that Akiva and Neve has somehow connected as a couple. It was strange, walking up to the female Warlock only for her to apologize, although eventually he was told by Pluto himself that he had told her the truth. A pulse blast from his palm was enough for Ianos to alleviate his anger. Mostly. Now, the Warlock had heard news that now Carina and Aleeza were now taking their relationship seriously as well, the two female Guardians constantly seen around the Tower holding hands or bringing one or the other into each other's rooms for a night of 'fun'.

"Not use to it either?"

Lifting his head from the wall, Ianos turned his head towards the doorway next to him, only to let out a light wave as Angel appeared in full body armor, minus the helm, from the hall, a coffee in hand with Hope gliding not too far behind him.

"I have to admit that when I saw Neve and Akiva holding hands, I was surprised," Angel commented as he turned his green hues towards the couple, taking a sip of his afternoon coffee as he watched the two chatter excitedly, "Although it seems to turn out for the better. Seems Neve has forgiven you, for, whatever you have done against her, false or not."

"Just makes me wonder how the rest of her team feels about it," Ianos stated, earning a thoughtful hum from the Hunter, "We'll see when we bump into them."

"Hopefully later," Angel added as he finished up his coffee before holding up the cup for Hope to break down, "I just hope that we can get another mission. The last one was squat compared to the ones we had beforehand."

"By missions you mean patrolling the Cosmodrome again?"

The Hunter's shoulders drooped, his eyes showing hesitation as he added, "Well, not, exactly."

Pausing at the younger Guardian's words, Ianos clicked things together, "You want to leave Earth's atmosphere, don't you?"

"Well," The human smiled sheepishly, "You have to admit the last time I was outside of Earth's atmosphere, it was back when I was resurrected on Venus, and that was me trying to get here. I didn't necessarily had a chance to really sight see, if you know what I mean?"

This earned Angel a short snicker from the Warlock, causing the Hunter to blink in surprise, "I have to admit, of all the planets I have visited, Venus is one of the most beautiful of them all."

"Aww, don't tease me like," Angel pouted, "I even looked back at Hope's recordings and all it was me running for my life." The Hunter then paused before a small smile faded onto his tan features, the twinkle in his green eyes causing the Warlock to shift nervously on his feet, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You and Pluto, you two are older than the Vanguard right?" Angel asked in which Ianos rose a brow and nodded, "And you two know them right? Can you convince them to let us leave Earth's atmosphere?"

A pause, Ianos blinking behind his helmet as he processed the Hunter's words, "No."

"Huh? Why?" Angel reached out and grabbed onto Ianos' arm as the Warlock pushed himself off the wall, earning a grunt of annoyance in response, "Come on, I'm desperate for something new."

"Careful what you wish for," Ianos muttered as he reached out and carefully pried the younger Guardian's grip off of him, careful to avoid the sensitive tubes running through his arm, "You might as well get it."

"Oh come on! You know how Hunters are!" Angel threw his arms up into the air, "We live for the adrenaline! The freedom of wondering the wilds! Staying in one place for us is like hell!" The Hunter reached out to the Warlock once again, causing Ianos to take several paces back out of reach, "Please Ianos, I'm just itching for an adventure."

Staring at the younger Guardian through his helm, Ianos' shoulders drooped in defeat as he sighed, "Fine, I'll talk to the Vanguard, see what I can do-"

A scream then interrupted their thoughts, causing the two Guardians to turn around and quickly scan the plaza. It was then shock coursed through them as a roar echoed throughout the air as the familiar form of a Fallen, easily towering over the other Guardians as it tossed aside an unfortunate Warlock that had gotten in its way before it let out another roar.

"How the hell did a Fallen get into the Tower!?" Ace yelped as they materialized into Ianos' armor, "and how the hell did it get past the wall!"

"We'll figure that out later," Ianos muttered as he held out his hand and summoned his pulse rifle, carrying it in both his hands before he dashed towards the rampaging Fallen.

"Wait! Ianos!" Angel called out as he watched the veteran Guardian start firing at the Fallen Baron, causing the Hunter to shift nervously on his feet as he glanced around, sighting several other Guardians following Ianos' example, "Shit."

"Ixrsis said that we can attack if other Eliksni attack, right?" Hope shifted her parts nervously, "I mean, that's what this Eliksni is doin', right?"

"Except he doesn't have a weapon," Angel commented, causing his Ghost to pause, "Why would an Eliksni Baron come into the Tower, the home of the Guardians, without at least a weapon to back him up?"

That's when the Baron let out another roar, catching Angel's attention as he tuned in at the Fallen's words.

" _Pure one!"_

This caused a puzzled look to glance over the Hunter's tan features, "Is he…calling for me?"

"Only one way to find out," Hope stated as she gained a single not from her Guardian, signaling to the Ghost to materialize into her Guardian's armor before he made a mad dash towards the Eliksni.

Xxxxx

" _Can they not understand?"_ The Fallen Vandal whispered as she ducked down while she kept herself in stealth, her glimmering form barely keeping herself hidden as the Baron swatted another Guardian, a Titan, to the side when they got too close.

" _Apparently not."_ Oraxsis grumbled before his shields shimmered against bullet fire, releasing a low growl as he rushed towards another Guardian, a Hunter, before grabbing them by the front of their cloak, causing them to yelp as he brought them close to his face, " _I would like to speak to the Guardian called Pure One."_

Instead of an answer, Oraxsis got a small squeal of fright before he found a hand cannon under his chin. Immediately, the Baron leaned his head back, barely feeling the bullet graze the front of his ether mask before tossing the Hunter across the Plaza.

" _Well, that didn't work."_ The Vandal stated, half laughing-half nervously before pressing herself against the Baron's back as a bullet whizzed past her head, _"They can't understand us. How else are we supposed to find Pure One?"_

" _Because he understands the Eliksni language,_ " Oraxsis responded as he knocked aside another Guardian when they attempted to bull rush him with a shotgun, _"If we keep calling to him, he will-"_

" _Baron Oraxsis!"_

It was then Orxasis glanced up only to let out a roar when he felt a Hunter stabbed their knife into his shoulder, using it as leverage to keep themselves onto the Fallen Baron as he thrashed about. Any attempt to pull the Hunter off of him was only met with potshots from the Hunter's Hand Cannon, causing Orxasis to let out roars of fury. It was then from the corner of his eyes, Orxasis saw the Hunter take out another knife and lifted themselves up to take a better aim at his back, intent clear in their action as they swung their weapon down. However, before the knife could make contact with its intended target, the Hunter's hand paused midway, causing the Guardian to let out a startled cry as the Vandal shimmered out of stealth, her four eyes narrowed in fury.

" _How dare you attack my Baron!"_ She roared as she used her free upper arm to release a hidden blade in her bracer, swinging the weapon into the arm of the Hunter who let out a cry of agony before the Vandal shoved the Hunter off of Oraxsis, giving the Baron the opportunity to gain some distance between him and the other approaching Guardians. Growling, Orxasis pulled the other knife from his shoulder, grunting as he tossed the weapon to the side.

" _You are now exposed,"_ The Baron rumbled as the Vandal raised her other upper arm, releasing the hidden blade in that bracer as well.

" _My duty is the make sure you are safe, Baron Oraxsis."_ The Vandal rumbled back, her four eyes glaring at the Guardians as they stare warily at the blades around her wrists, _"We may be here to look for Pure One but that does not mean I will not fight back if the Guardians try to harm you."_

" _Do not worry about me, worry about your own safety."_ The Baron then lowered themselves into defensive position when the Guardians started closing in once more. Right when the group of warriors got close, the Baron let out a roar, startling the Guardians just enough for Oraxsis to charge, causing the crowd to let out startled cries as they attempted to get out of the way, the Fallen Baron bulldozing those who were unfortunate to get in his way.

Feeling his shields shatter from the constant contact, Oraxsis came to as kidding stop, his four eyes glancing around before he roared, _"I am looking for the one they call Pure One! We came asking for his aid! He-"_

" _Lord Oraxsis!"_

It was then the large Fallen felt the Vandal unfasten herself from his back and pull herself right over his shoulder. At first puzzled by his fellow Eliksni's actions, it wasn't until the familiar sound of a sniper firing rang through the air that the Baron realized what had happened. No soon had the sound of the shot rang through the air that the Vandal's head snapped back before she went limp, sliding off of Oraxsis' shoulder before falling onto the marbled floors of the Plaza.

" _Axtris!"_ Orxasis cried as he knelt down next to the Fallen Vandal, tenderly picking her up in his lower arms as his upper arms kept her steady. It was then the Vandal let out a wheeze, startling the Baron as he scanned her before his four eyes stopped at her ether mask, the tubes and part of the equipment having been torn off from the sniper's bullet, leaving only half of the mask to filter in the precious ether into the Vandal, keeping the Eliksni alive. But just barely. Clutching the wounded Vandal closer to his chest, Oraxsis then felt bullets pelt his refreshed shields and it was then rage filled within the Baron Eliksni, causing him to stand with Axtris in his arms and let out a roar. This stance was enough to startle the younger Guardians, but the veterans made no hesitation to reload their weapons and open fire once more. Using his shields to take the brunt of the blows, Oraxsis charged towards the nearest group of Guardians then plowed them down before grabbing a nearby warlock by the head, hearing them squeal as he lifted them up into the air and held them up for all to see, causing everyone present to pause, their weapons aimed but unable to fire with an ally in the way.

Hearing the Warlock curse and kick in his grasp, Oraxsis let out an annoyed grunt as he turned his four eyes towards the Guardian, the voice revealing them as female as they continued to curse and hit their hand against his in a vain attempt to release his grip. Glancing back and forth between the crippled Vandal in the crook of his arms before glancing back at the cursing Warlock, Oraxsis made his decision. It was then he started tightening his grip, causing a cry of fear to emit from the female Warlock as she felt her helmet crack and compress around her vision, causing the surrounding Guardians let out shouts of shock and rage as many of them started to press on the trigger of their weapons.

" _Stop!"_

Recognizing the language of his race, Oraxsis paused in his execution of the Warlock, who let out small whimpers as he glanced down at the source of the voice, his four eyes meeting green as the familiar form of a Ghost hovered over the shoulders of the Guardian. Glancing back and forth between the Warlock and the human below him, Oraxsis let out a grunt before he fixated his gaze back onto the new Guardian, " _And why should I stop my execution on this Guardian? You nearly killed one of my own when we did not even draw our weapons against you, not until now."_

" _I can save her."_

This earned the Guardian a look of doubt from the Baron, _"How can I tell that you are telling the truth?"_

" _I am speaking in your tongue, am I not?"_

Oraxsis then let out a small huff, his four eyes narrowing at the Guardian before they widen, realization setting upon the shoulders of the Baron as they started, _"Wait, are you…Pure One?"_

When he saw the Guardian nod, the Baron immediately dropped the female Warlock, the latter quickly crawling to safety to the group of Guardians surrounding the larger Eliksni, their weapons still drawn and aimed. Ignoring them, Oraxsis then knelt down and held out the injured Vandal, who in turn glanced up at the approaching Guardian.

" _P-Pure One?"_ She wheezed, only to earn a sheepish smile before the human reached out and gently held one of her hands, causing Axtris to glance from their intertwined fingers and the tan features of the human before she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

Xxxxx

"Hope," Angel quickly started, his green eyes showing concern as he watched the female Vandal in front of him lean her head against the crook of the Baron's arms, causing the latter to let out a roar of grief, "Hurry, if you don't she's-"

"I'm on it!" Hope huffed as the Ghost glided over and sent her scanner over the damaged proportions of the Vandal's ether mask, "just let me concentrate. You know how long it's been since we've last repaired an Eliksni's Ether Mask?"

"Almost a year I believe?" Angel guessed, earning a small 'hmmm' from his Ghost, "just make sure to get Ether flowing through her mask again before she- ack!"

It was then the Hunter felt someone grab him by the back of his armor, causing him to lose his grip on the female Vandal's hand before he felt himself being turned and lifted into the air by the front of his armor. Eyes wide in surprise, Angel glanced down into the eyes of the person lifting him up into the air, only to recognize brown hues of the Titan in front of him, "Oh, hey Leonard."

"Don't act so casual," Leo hissed, causing the younger Guardian to flinch, "Why the hell are you helping a Fallen? And how the fuck do you know their language?"

Letting out a sheepish smile, Angel shrugged as he asked, "Did no one else bother to learn the Eliksni language?"

"The language takes years to learn," All eyes turned towards Ianos, the veteran Guardian letting out a small grunt as he rubbed his arm. He was unfortunate enough to not react fast enough to the Baron's fast charge, "Even the most acute of our scholars never mastered the language. At least not completely." Heaving out a sigh, Ianos then turned his attention to Leo, "Put him down." When he earned a glare from the Titan, Ianos repeated, his voice letting out a low growl, "Put. Him. Down." Glaring at the Awoken Warlock for a moment longer, Leo started grumbling under his breath before he slowly lowered the Hunter, taking several steps back as Angel brushed off the front of his armor.

"They were calling for me," The Hunter explained as he glanced up at Ianos, "They need help."

Watching the Warlock cross his arms, Angel could feel Ianos frown behind his helmet. Puzzled at first, Angel didn't realize the reason for the gesture until the veteran Warlock asked, "So I take it this isn't your first interaction with the Fallen?"

"Oh, er," The Hunter's face flush, "T-they prefer being called Eliksni and I-uh…yes."

"What?" Leo snarled at the human Hunter, causing the latter to take a step back from the Titan, "So what have you been doing? Ratting us out?"

"What? No!" Angel shouted, startling the Titan, "We were learning about each other. You know? Like friends?"

"Friends?" It was then the Hunter realized he made a mistake, "Why the fuck would anyone want to be friends with a Fallen!?"

It was then murmuring erupted through the crowd of Guardians, causing Angel to gulp as Leo continued, "The Fallen not only tried to repeatedly take the City and kill us all, but they also took the lives of many fellow Guardians! Why the fuck are you trying to be friends with, 'things', like them!?"

"They are not 'things'!" The Hunter retorted, earning another glare from the Titan, "They are beings that are just trying to survive like us! How many of them were killed by us, the 'Guardians', when they weren't even armed? When they were just scavenging for meager supplies to last the week?"

More murmuring across the crowd, causing Angel to shrink back to the Eliksni, the larger of the two having long turned their attention to Leo and was growling now, the Baron narrowing his eyes at the human Titan.

"So you're going to save that one? Out of pity?" Leo spoke through clenched teeth, his hands curling into fists.

"Yes," Angel narrowed his eyes at the Titan, "I practically lived in the wilds for weeks, a newly resurrected Guardian, and who you think helped me? The Tower? No, not even close." The Human Hunter let out a low growl as he added, "Many Guardians would have called me naïve for tending to wounded Eliksni but they know compassion as well as any other race. When they saw that I was lost, they returned the favor and took me in. They taught me how to use a blade, how to use a gun, and how to survive out in the wilds alone. I lived with them and I know what kind of lives they live." Gritting his teeth, Angel continued, "There are some group of Eliksni that want to be left alone, that all they want to do is find enough supplies to live. But they tell me stories of how sometimes Guardians come plowing through their territory and shoots anything that moves, uncaring if they were armed or not." The Hunter then sighed as he shook his head, "Why do you think Eliksni shoot on sight? Cause Guardians do the same!"

"You dare compare us to those scavengers!?" Leo roared and it was then Angel spotted the Hand cannon being pulled from the Titan's side. Unable to react fast enough, all the Hunter could do was take in a sharp breath and prepare himself for the shot, hearing the echoes of Ianos yelling for Leo to back down in the background. It was then another roar rang in Angel's ears and this caused the Hunter to glance over his shoulder only for his vision to be filled with the shimmering form of the Baron, the latter having placed two of his arms in front of the younger Guardian. This action was enough to cause Leo to pause, hesitation clear in the brown hues of the Guardian as the Baron glowered at the Titan, snarling in his race's tongue.

"Uh, he says if you shoot, there will be consequences," Angel translated, shifting nervously back and forth on the soles of his feet before he added, "alongside, with, somethings, I am not going to repeat."

"Now why would I-" Leo paused as Ianos reached over and forced the Titan's weapon down, causing the Warlock to earn a glare in response.

"They are no longer a threat to us," Ianos stated, earning a gawking look from Leo, "I'll talk to the Speaker to see what to do about your friends and do whatever we can to aid them."

"You can't be serious-"

Leo was silenced once more as Ianos shot him a glare behind his helmet, "I'm going to talk to Neve about this, see what her opinions are before I tell her of your actions, 'Leonard', if she does not know already."

"No need for that."

The group turned their gaze towards the Titan and Warlock pair, the former rubbing his shoulder as if to lessen the throbbing.

"Leo," Neve turned her green eyes towards the Titan who immediately down casted his gaze, muttering under his breath as the Warlock added, "Calm down, they're no longer posing a threat to us."

This caused the human Titan to lift up his brown gaze and narrow them at his Fireteam leader, "Oh, so you're willing to trust these scavengers not to stab us in the back later?"

"They won't," Angel butted in, earning a growl from Leo.

"How can you be so certain?" He snarled, taking a threatening step forward towards the Hunter who took a step back, "You're hardly a year old and yet you think you have more experience than us with these scavengers? You don't know them!"

"Leo," Neve hissed, causing the Titan to take several steps back but kept his glare on the human Hunter, "Leo, is this about your former Fireteam?"

Almost immediately, Leo's body went rigid, turning his wide brown eyes towards the Warlock with his mouth agape, confirming the female Guardian's suspicions, "Leo, it's time-"

"Shut up! You weren't there!" The Titan roared, startling his Fireteam leader, "You weren't there! You wouldn't understand! So stop trying to act like you do!"

With his words spoken, the Titan turned and ran off, causing Neve to heave out a sigh while gaining a bewildered look from Akiva.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing," Neve responded immediately, turning her green hues towards Ianos, "I'll talk to him about it later." She then turned her gaze onto Angel, "Good luck with your friends." She then turned and headed towards the direction the human Titan had ran off to, leaving the group of three Guardians and the two Eliksni.

"There!" Angel heard Hope's voice beam, "Fixed it!"

It was then Angel saw the Baron lift his arms away from the Hunter and then tended to the unconscious form of the Vandal.

"Not my best work, but it should work," Hope's parts lifted up as if to smile, "should keep her stable for a while."

" _I cannot thank you enough,"_ The Baron then bowed, startling both Ghost and Guardian before Angel stuttered out, " _N-No need to be so formal. I was just doing the right thing."_

" _No, you do not understand, Pure One."_ This caused Angel to blink at the Baron's words, _"You have saved the life of my daughter and for that, I am in your debt."_

"Oh…What!?"

Xxxxx

When the silver Exo heard the roaring from her apartment, she had dashed out in time to witness the Baron thrashing about, his red cape fluttering around him as he knocked aside incoming Guardians. Almost immediately, Carina had summoned her Auto Rifle but instead of firing, was shocked instead to find Angel near the Baron moments later, tending to the one wounded in his arms. In honesty, the Exo was confused, confounded by the Hunter's actions. But from the way the Hunter tended to the injured Eliksni and now nonchalantly chatting away with the now conscious female Vandal, Carina decided to give them a chance. If one of her teammates trusts them, she'll hand them out her trust as well.

"Angel?"

Glancing over at another corner of the room, Carina watched as Ianos approached the pair, only to pause when the Baron got up from the floor, growling at the Warlock's approach. He only backed down when Angel spoke in his tongue, the Baron begrudgingly taking his seat back onto the floor, but kept his four eyes on the Awoken Warlock as he closed in on the distance between him and the Human and Eliksni pair.

"Oh, Ianos this is Axtris" Angel nodded his head towards the female Vandal before turning his green eyes towards the Baron, "and that is Oraxsis." He then switched to the Eliksni tongue, introducing the Warlock, and in Carina's mind, the rest of the Fireteam who were also present, ensuring that the larger Eliksni knows that they are indeed allies. Carina hopes so anyways.

"Did the Speaker say anything?" the Hunter asked, in which Ianos nodded.

"He instructed that the Fallen" The Warlock paused when he heard a low rumble emit now only from the Baron but from the female Vandal as well, "my apologies, Eliksni, and our team to meet in the Hall of Guardians while he called the Vanguard to have a private counseling."

"That a good thing or a bad thing?" Carina asked, in which she only received a shrug as a response.

"The Speaker is unreadable, as always," The Warlock let out an annoyed sigh, "If it wasn't for that damn mask."

"Pfft, and you're any different?" Akiva piped in as he smiled, earning a glower from the veteran Guardian, "Makes me wonder who can read the other better. You or the Speaker? Do you two have competitions when we're not around? I bet the Speaker wins every time."

"Akiva," Aleeza started but her sudden pause and the way her lips twitched at the edges was sign enough of her restrained laughter. Carina, on the other hand, laughed heartily while as her Hunter companion chuckled. Ianos just sighed.

"No." Pluto's voice cracked slightly before he let out a cough, regaining his composure, "He always covered his face, even back when the Guardians were first called Risen. The Speaker always had a hood obscuring most of his features. The only thing you could see was his lips." Pluto then shrugged, "And when he turned from Risen to Speaker, he put on that mask and has worn it since."

"So, he's an old geezer like you two?" Akiva beamed, earning a blank stare from the Exo and the male Awoken, the rest of the team joining in on the Titan's laughter, "What? You have been around for a while, I mean, you two are older than the Vanguard."

"Compared to them, we're young." Cayde's joking remark echoed throughout the room as he and his fellow Vanguard entered, and when the familiar white garbed figure entered the room, almost everyone was at attention, the only exception were the Eliksni, Oraxsis immediately getting up onto his feet while as Axtris stared puzzled beside her father's side.

"Speaker," Ianos nodded his head in greeting to the advisor of the Guardians, gaining a nod of greeting in return. The white garbed figure then turned his attention towards the Eliksni. Seeing this, Oraxsis immediately stepped in front of Axtris and let out a low rumble, his four eyes narrowing at the Speaker.

"Er, he, doesn't trust you." Angel translated, fidgeting on his feet as he added, "Even if you somehow are the 'Kell', in other words, leader, to the Guardians."

"Understandable," The Speaker stated before turning his eyes towards the Vanguard, signaling to the three to take their respective places on the table, "As you know, I had requested audience with Ikora, Cayde, and Zavala after I asked all of you to wait."

"There a reason for that?" Aleeza asked in which she gained a nod from the enigmatic figure.

"We have been keeping an eye on the Fallen recently," Cayde informed, "Which shouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't for the fact the Fallen body count is rising when there aren't even Guardians out on the field."

"So we decided to investigate," Ikora added, "and I have to say, we were quite surprised at what we found."

"A Fallen Civil War." Zavala finished, earning bewildering looks from many of the Fireteam members, "Apparently there are many Fallen from the House of Devils that do not agree on how their House runs so they started a rebellion. It has been weeks now since it first began."

It was then all eyes turned to Angel when the Hunter turned and started speaking to the Baron, the human's face laced with concern as he paused and listened to Oraxsis' response, the larger Eliksni nodding his head.

"Oraxsis says it's been going on longer than that," The Hunter stated, earning confounded looks from everyone in the room, "There were small acts of rebellion at first. Refusing orders, some running away, missing supplies. It wasn't until a few weeks ago where it was made obvious to the House." Angel then paused before speaking in the Eliksni tongue, the others watching as the worried look on his features then paled when Oraxsis lowered his head and let out a low rumble.

"Is something wrong, Angel?" Carina asked.

At first, no words came from the Hunter, the human burying his face in his hands before he paced around the room, causing concern to emit from his Fireteam as Angel continued to pace.

"You know how I said I treated several Eliksni wounded when I was just a newly resurrected Guardian?" The Hunter stated as he paused, earning puzzled looks from everyone in the room, "The first one I ever treated was a small Dreg named Ixrsis, now a Captain from what Oraxsis told me, and since then we have kept in contact, meeting in secret to catch up and learn about each other's language and culture."

"Did something happen to this Captain?" Pluto asked, in which Angel lifted his head and nodded.

"She's the one who started the rebellion," the Hunter responded, turning his worried gaze towards his Fireteam, "and the reason why Oraxsis and Axtris are here is for help on finding her location. The House of Devils have captured her and have been moving her around to ensure that the Rebels are not able to locate her." Angel then collapsed onto his knees, startling everyone in the room, "It's been a few days now and they just heard recent news that her execution is in only a couple of days now. They're desperate on getting her back." Burying his face in his hands once more, Angel shook his head as he added, "Damn it, why didn't she come to me earlier? I would have helped her." Lifting his gaze up towards the two Eliksni, he repeated the question, " _Why didn't she come to me for help?"_

" _It is because she knows you are busy with your duties as a Guardian, Pure One."_ Angel glanced up at Oraxsis, the Baron towering over him, _"She knows that you are devoted to your City, as she is devoted to her people."_

" _But she is my friend."_ Angel spoke as he pushed himself onto his feet, _"No, my best friend. My first friend. How can I get stronger knowing my closest friend is in trouble?"_

The Baron lifted his head up as if in surprise, his four eyes blinking before he let out a low rumble, signaling he has no answer.

" _She is not your only friend, Pure One,"_ Axtris added, earning a wide eyed look from the human Hunter, _"I may have not known her as long as you, but I've known her long enough. I want to find her as much as you do, Pure One."_ The female Vandal then hesitated, her four eyes glancing back and forth between Angel and the surrounding Guardians before she asked, _"Are you going to help us?"_

His green eyes locking onto luminescent blue, Angel stared into the female Vandal's eyes before he turned his gaze towards the Vanguard and the Speaker, his eyes giving away the question he wants to ask.

"I believe this is an opportunity to form an alliance with the Eliksni, even if it is a small group," The Speaker stated before he turned his gaze towards the Fireteam, "and I believe you are capable of handling this?"

"More than capable, Speaker," Pluto responded, earning a nod of approval from the white garbed figurehead.

"Good, I trust you to absolve all of this," The Speaker then held out both his hands, confusing many of the younger Guardians but Ianos and Pluto held out their hands as well, "May the Light of the Traveler guide you."

When the Speaker left, it was Carina who spoke, "What in blazes was that?"

"And old time gesture, a blessing of some sorts," Pluto snorted as he crossed his arms and turned his blind gaze towards Ianos, "I guess that really does make us ancient if we're the only ones in this room who understands."

"Not even you three?" Ianos asked as he turned his glowing eyes towards the Vanguard, all three of which avoided the Warlock's gaze, Cayde even going as far as coughing into his fist, "Well, that definitely makes me feel young again."

Waiting until the chuckles and giggles in the room died down, Zavala then asked, "How are you planning to find this Ixrsis? If her own people can't find her, what makes you think that you will?"

"Commander Glow in the Dark is right," Cayde butted in, earning a glower from the Vanguard Commander, "what do you have that the Fallen doesn't?"

It was then a pause permeated through the room, the Fireteam glancing at each other in silent conversation, their eyes trying to read each other for solutions as the silence continued.

"Angel," Pluto suddenly spoke, startling everyone in the room, "Can you ask your friends how many of the towers in the Cosomodrome are active?"

Quickly, the Hunter repeated the question to the Baron, the latter of which responded quickly as well, although his four eyes puzzled.

"He says majority of them are powered on at least, half of them are functional," Angel relayed, also giving the blind Exo a puzzled look, "Why?"

It was then the Exo released a sigh, further earning bewildering looks from everyone in the room.

"Let us visit an old friend, shall we?" Pluto stated.

Xxxxx

.. _INITIATING: HOSTILE ENTITIES DISCOVERED…_

… _SOLUTIONS FOR ELIMINATION..._

… _They are simply Fallen. Activate the arc energy traps. It will be enough to be rid of them…_

… _HOSTILE ENTITIES ELIMINATED. CONTINUE?.._

… _Of course, as always…_

… _AI-COM/RSPN: 1567 WINS 1560 LOSSES. EXO-COM/AP 1560 WINS 1567 LOSSES…_

… _Come on now, you know that is not my name anymore. Do I have to keep reminding you? My name is Sun now. Sun-7…_


	13. Sun-7

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Sun-7_**

* * *

 _Recording 10-6-9.23_

 _Source: Ghost of Guardian Pluto-99_

 _Alias: Nix_

 _Initiating data…_

 _(Static fills the screen before it slowly cleared to reveal a dark azure Exo clad in blue and black and a black Exo clad in black and grey seated next to each other, their gaze fixating onto horizon, watching the Traveler lay dormant above the City.)_

 _P: Hey Neptune_

 _N: Yes?_

 _P: Have you ever wondered…where we came from? Who 'created' us?_

 _N: Honestly, a little. I mean, what Exo never thought of it?_

 _P: (snorts) Good point._

 _N: Something on your mind?_

 _P:…You know the day when Mercury, Jupiter, and I returned…alone?_

 _N: Yes of course, how can I forget? It was the day when Sun was killed._

 _P: Well…there's more to that than what we had…_

 _N: Yes?_

 _P:…N-Never mind, I'll tell you later._

 _N: (laughs) If you say so, love._

 _End of Documentation…_

 __File between Neptune-88 and Pluto-99__

 _Xxxxx_

" _For the last time, you two stay here_." Angel firmly stated, earning a low rumble from Oraxsis and Axtris, the latter's shoulders drooping to the ground in disappointment, " _The four of us will return shortly, it won't take us long, I promise."_

" _Why do we have to stay here?"_ Oraxsis asked, _"Axtris and I can-"_

" _From what Pluto told me, he says that this friend of his isn't too friendly with Eliksni_ ," This caused the Baron to go silent, " _I appreciate you are worried of my safety but if what Pluto says is true, it is safer for both you and Axtris to stay here."_

" _Then what do we do here? Wait?"_ The female Vandal asked, grumbling silently under her breath when she received a nod from the human Hunter, " _But are you sure that we are safer here than out there? Many of the Lights here are not comfortable with our presence here."_

" _Which is why those two are going to stay here and show you around."_ Angel nodded his head towards the twins, both of whom waved from their seats on some nearby crates when they felt the Hunter's eyes on them.

This caused Oraxsis' eyes to narrow, " _We do not need bodyguards."_

" _Who says that they are bodyguards?"_ Angel stated, earning bewildering looks from the two Eliksni, " _True, I asked them to stay around you two to ensure that other Guardians do not intentional harm you, but_ Akiva _and_ Aleeza _also want to get to know the two of you as well."_

"Aaaaakiiiiivaaaaaa aaaand Aaaaaaleeeeeezzzzzaaaaa?" Axtris repeated, earning a nod from the Hunter, " _Can I call them something easier? Like the Pale One and the Glowing One?"_

Giving the younger Eliksni a sheepish smile, the Hunter responded, " _Call them whatever you like but I think they prefer their real names than the ones you just had mentioned, Axtris."_

This caused the Vandal to release a huff, but the female Eliksni gave the human a reluctant nod, signaling to Angel to turn his green eyes towards Oraxsis, " _And be careful, customs amongst Guardians are not the same as Eliksni customs."_ He then paused as the Baron tilted his head curiously at the Hunter, _"So in other words, don't be intimidating."_ This caused Oraxsis to reel back, his eyes wide in obvious shock from the statement. Angel just shrugged in response, " _Well I would say it as an option, but I think it is the best to act more…friendly if you want to avoid getting shot."_

Letting out a grunt, Oraxsis nodded before bowing to the human Hunter, signaling to the female Vandal to do the same. Returning the bow with one of his own, Angel then turned and approached the twins, speaking as he approached, "Alright, I told Hope to send the data on the Eliksni language to Lex and Lena so that they can properly translate between you two and Oraxsis and Axtris. Be careful on your wording though, since Eliksni can be a bit…sensitive, even if it is a joke."

"Noted," Aleeza smiled as the human Hunter side, rubbing the back of his neck before turning his eyes towards another end of the Hangar, his green eyes sighting Pluto, Ianos, and Carina chatting between the three of them, most likely planning on what to do next when they reach their destination.

"Curious on who this 'friend' of Pluto's is?" Startled, Angel fixated his gaze on the human Titan, earning a smile from Akiva as he added, "I'm curious as well, so when you figure it out, come and tell us, alright?"

"Wait, you've known Pluto for how long and you don't even know?" Angel asked, in which Akiva just shrugged.

"Hey, I maybe 'old' compared to other Guardians but like I have stated before, Pluto and Ianos are 'ancient', even to Aleeza and I. In other words, the two of them have secrets that I bet that they even kept from each other." The Titan then snorted as he added, "Darkness, I even asked Ianos earlier and even he was clueless on who Pluto's mysterious friend is."

"That's, not comforting at all." Angel shifted nervously on the heels of his feet, causing Aleeza to let out a short laugh before she reached out and placed a reassuring hand on the human Hunter's shoulder, "Don't worry about it, majority of Pluto's allies are laid back as the old Exo and I bet they are more than willing to help out on finding your Eliksni friend."

The Hunter then heaved out a sigh, "I just hope we're not too late."

"Angel! You ready?"

Turning his green eyes towards Pluto and the others, Angel blinked when he saw Carina waving him over, signaling to Hunter to head over and board his jumpship.

"Promise me that you two will keep Oraxsis and Axtris safe?" He asked as he turned his worried gaze back towards the twins.

Akiva gave him a thumbs up, "Don't worry, any Guardians that look even the tiniest bit suspicious will have a bullet through their brain before they even know it."

"If of course they don't back off," Aleeza laughed, earning a sheepish smile from her twin, "Now go on Angel, don't want to keep the others waiting."

Giving the twins a nod, Angel then pressed the collar of his armor, his helmet materializing over his head before he turned and dashed off towards his ship, Hope instantly transmatting him inside.

Watching the rest of their team mimic the Hunter's actions, Akiva and Aleeza watched the four ships slowly lift themselves from their landing pads before rocketing out of the Hangar, disappearing from view in mere seconds.

"Well then." Sliding off of her seat on some crates, Aleeza waited until Akiva pushed himself off of his seat as well, the pair approaching the two Eliksni as their Ghosts materialized over their shoulders, "Shall we begin the tour?"

Xxxxx

The cold winds of the Cosmodrome immediately sent Carina's armored suit into action, slowly calculating the temperature before adjusting itself to a more comfortable warmth, leaving the female Exo in ease in her armor. Dusting off the dust off of her armor from landing after the transmat, Carina glanced up when the others landed right next to her and almost immediately, she could sense the glower from the older Exo.

"Every single time, why do you transmat halfway through the air and Fist of Havoc the ground?" The Hunter muttered, earning a smile from the Exo behind her helmet.

"It's fun," She simply chirped, earning a sigh and a shake of the head from the Exo Hunter.

"Our destination is the Forgotten Shores," Pluto added as he held out Nix, "So Sparrows ready everyone."

Nodding, everyone held out their Ghost's as well. Carina was the first to summon her Sparrow, the violet S-20 Cavalier materializing just beside her. Hopping onto her trusty vehicle, Carina heard another Sparrow shift and form next to her and out of curiosity, glanced over only to pause as her violet optics blinked behind her helm as she watched Ianos mount onto his Sparrow. Sensing the stares he was receiving from the female Exo, Ianos glanced up and gave her a puzzled look, "What?"

"How the hell did you get that Sparrow?" The Exo blurted as her optics continued to scan Ianos' S-35 Aeon Glow, watching the lights trace steadily over the outline of the vehicle, "I thought you only like function, not aesthetics."

"I do," Ianos frowned behind his helm, "I just got this by luck. Anyway, it was the best Sparrow they got, so I didn't necessarily complain when I bought a box at Eververse only for this model to pop into my Vaults."

"Come on you two, we can talk about Sparrows later," Pluto held out Nix to summon his Sparrow, a long sleek model lined with blue, it's black surface somehow glinting beneath the dim light before, mounting it, "Right now, we have to reach the Forgotten Shores before it gets dark."

"Your friend doesn't like nightly visits?" Angel asked as he mounted his Sparrow, an S-21 Seeker, its white surface clean of any particles of dust or dirt.

"Something like that" Pluto muttered as he revved up his vehicle, boosting forward without warning, startling the younger Guardians before Ianos' white Sparrow sped past them, signaling to Carina and Angel to follow, "Getting there with some daylight gives us a better chance to get into the place alive."

"What?" Angel's voice echoed through the coms, the shock clear in the human's voice as he added, "Alive? Where the hell do they live?"

"Ever heard of the Warmind Rasputin?" Pluto asked, eventually taking the silence of his coms as a no, "We're heading to his bunker, and let's just say, he does not exactly welcome visitors."

"But yet your friends lives there?" Angel asked.

"Yes," The Exo Hunter responded, "Let's just say that the two of them share a… 'special' bond."

"What? They lovers?" Carina joked, but paused when Pluto didn't respond, "…are you serious?"

"You can say that," Pluto finally responded, hearing the Exo Titan sputter through the coms, "Although I'm not sure if it's exactly 'love' that the two of them are feeling towards each other."

"Mutual respect?" Angel asked, in which Pluto shrugged on his Sparrow.

"Most likely, but I haven't seen them in years to actually ask."

"…How many years has it been since you've last seen them?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"…What?"

"It's been that long, kid. I can't remember but even then, I made a promise to them."

"And that is?"

"I never ever, set foot in that bunker."

A startled choke echoed throughout the coms, "And we're going there!?"

"You want to find your friend or what?" Pluto retorted, causing the Hunter to go silent, "I just hope they don't kill us once we're inside."

"That is not very comforting at all," Ianos muttered, the younger Guardians silently agreeing with the Veteran Warlock.

Xxxxx

… _SCANNING: FOUR LIFE FORMS DETECTED. LIGHTS. SCANNING: GUARDIANS…_

… _That's the third group this month…_

… _ELIMINATE?.._

… _No, I recognize one of those lights…_

… _ALLY?.._

… _He promised not to come back here…_

… _ELIMNATE?.._

 _..No, no, let them come in. It has been a while since I've last spoken to an old friend…_

Xxxxx

"So, this is the entrance to Rasputin's bunker?" Angel asked as his green hues scanned the diamond shaped entrance, the gleaming surface seemingly untouched by time, especially compared to the rusting floors and walls of the stairs that the group had just entered from.

Nodding his head in response, Pluto then held out Nix, leaning forward to deploy the Ghost onto the console near the entrance. However, before the Ghost can do his job, the entrance suddenly shifted, splitting into four different pieces before twirling around as it slid into the walls, startling both Pluto and his Ghost to the point where the Exo hunter took several steps back.

"We've been invited in?" Pluto asked, more to himself than the others, earning looks of concern from the rest of group.

"Does that not usually happen?" Ianos asked, in which he earned a shake of the head, watching Nix glide out of his Guardian's hand and letting out scans to let the Exo Hunter see, "Perfect."

"Is this a trap?" Carina asked worriedly, hoisting up her auto rifle in front of her as her violet optics eyed the entrance suspiciously, as if expecting turrets or enemies to pop out at any given moment.

"We will see," The blind Exo muttered as he strode into the entrance with Nix in front, his boots thumping against the metallic surface.

Watching his old mentor stride in, Ianos just sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat before he too casually walked in, earning startling looks from the younger Guardians. Giving each other nervous glances, Angel and Carina soon followed, their weapons ready.

"It's…so clean in here," The female Exo stated as the pair caught up with the veteran Guardians.

"That must be my friend's work," Pluto stated, earning a bewildering look from the rest of the group, "When we first found this place, it was literately falling apart." He then nodded his head towards the metallic walkway the four of them were walking on, "We had to tread each hall one by one, or otherwise this will fall beneath us." The blind Exo the let out a snort, "Each of us had to be resurrected several times just to test out the floors, see if it was safe to tread or not for the others."

"They fixed all this?" Angel's eyes widen behind his helmet as he looked around in awe.

"Maybe a little help from Rasputin but yes," Pluto then shrugged, "and by the way, when you leave, keep this place a secret from everyone."

Ianos raised a brow at this, "Doesn't the Vanguard know about this place?"

It was then a sigh escaped the older Exo, "Yes but, they don't know that my friend lives here. Better yet, they don't know 'who' this friend is as well."

"…Is it of someone of importance?"

Hesitation emitted from the older Exo as the group continued to walk, passing through doors that let them through as the silence permeated between the four of them.

"Oh fucking shit." Ianos' words caused the younger Guardians to fixate their attention onto the Veteran Warlock, and if his features were visible, they would have seen the scowl on his pale azure features.

"I knew it when only three of you returned and claimed that Sun was killed by Fallen," Ianos scoffed, shifting his pulse rifle in his hands as he added, "Sun, the almighty Titan, founder 'and' leader of the infamous Clan Galaxy, and a once proud member of the Sunbreakers, killed by a simple Fallen ambush? I didn't believe it for a second."

Pluto abruptly paused, startling the other three Guardians into pausing as well before the Exo Hunter twirled around and frowned, "Look, there is a reason why Mercury, Jupiter, and I had to lie about Sun's fate, alright?" Taking in a breath, Pluto just shook his head before he turned back around and resumed his pace, signaling to the other three Guardians to do the same.

"The only reason we were able to found this place was that Sun 'heard' Rasputin calling to them," Pluto explained, earning bewildering looks from his team, "Sun claimed that the closer we got to the core, the louder his voice rang, up until Sun went up to the controls."

"And?" Angel asked, his green eyes showing curiousity as he motioned his hand for the Exo Hunter to continue.

"That's when their 'connection' was made," Pluto muttered, "and when Sun's memories came flooding back."

"They remembered?" Ianos asked, in which the Exo Hunter tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Well, not necessarily 'their' memories," Pluto admitted, earning more puzzled stares from his team, "Rasputin transferred recordings, data back during the time when Sun was known as EXO-COM/AP or 'Subject Alpha' as many of the scientists back then like to call them."

"Subject Alpha? " Carina repeated, "That's not much of a name…" Her voice fading, Carina frowned behind her helm before her optics went wide and almost immediately, her body went rigid, her voice spilling with hate as the Titan spoke, "They saw them as nothing more than a machine, didn't they?"

"…I watched several of the recordings during our stay in the bunker here," Pluto muttered, either ignoring or not heard the younger Exo's words, "And that's where we found the connection to all of us nameless Exo."

Connecting the few pieces of the puzzles together, Angel then quickly deduced it, "All of you worked here?"

"Not just worked, we were created here." Pluto corrected, causing Angel to let out a choked gasp while Carina's grip on her weapon tighten, easily catching the attention of the Veteran Warlock who frowned, "and the reason why we woke up with no memory of our name? It is because we never had one to begin with."

"They just gave you numbers and designations?" Angel asked, earning a nod from the Exo Hunter, "Let me guess, you kept this secret from the rest of the Clan?"

"And tell them what?" Pluto spat, his grip on his scout rifle constricting around the guard, "That the humans who created us saw us nothing more than machines? As tools? To the point where they didn't even bother to name us and just gave us codes and numbers for names? Fuck no. The four of us, Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, and I, decided that it was best to keep it secret from the rest of the clan." He then out a scoff, "If it wasn't for the vow we took when we entered the clan to never have another memory wipe, we would have wiped our memories to ensure its secrecy as well."

"Not even Neptune knew?"

Pluto paused at Ianos' question, his shoulders drooping slightly. However, the silence was answer enough for the Warlock whose pace slowed down, their grip on their weapon lowered slightly as the party continued forward.

Pausing momentarily, Angel hesitated, his posture fidgeting as he twirled his hand cannon in his hands, "Is it really that big of a deal?"

"Of course it is!" Carina yelled, startling the Hunter to the point where he took several steps away from her, sensing the rage from the Exo Titan as she continued, "Some see don't see Exo as sentient! Machines!? Robots!? We have feelings! We have emotion! We know the difference between right and wrong! An Exo with no name?! Just a number!? To you it may not mean much but for Exo it means that you are degraded to an object! As a tool! We are so much more than that!"

"Carina," Pluto hissed, coming to a halt in his steps to turn and scowl at the younger Exo, who paused and blinked at the Hunter, "I understand your frustration but yelling? In this place? Rasputin may have let us in but that does not mean that he is not willing to kill us as he sees fit."

This sent a chill down the younger Exo's back and taking in a gulp, Carina nodded slowly. Letting out a huff, Pluto then turned and took point once more, leading the rest of the team through the numerous halls. After walking in silence, it was Angel who broke it, "If you don't mind, may I ask what your …designation was?"

Immediately, Angel placed Ianos between him and Carina, the latter turning and letting out a snarl at the Hunter's question, holding up her auto rifle menacingly as Angel shrank behind the Warlock.

"Carina," The older Exo warned, causing the Exo Titan to grumble. Pluto just sighed, "To answer your question, my designation was EXO-COM/SEC-99 or 'Security No.99', to put it plainly, in which I have to add, that the number represents the number of wipes and don't ask why."

Closing his mouth shut, the questions in Angel's mind shifted, quickly finding another one to ask, "Your function was a security guard, I take it?"

When he heard a dry chuckle echo through his coms, Angel gave the Exo Hunter a puzzled look as Pluto responded, "How did you think I got good with a Sniper Rifle?"

Piecing the puzzles together, a chill ran down the Hunter's spine as he realized what the Exo had meant, causing Angel to fumble over his words as he managed to stutter out, "A-And Sun's?"

Another pause permeated through the group of Guardians, Pluto tapping against the edge of his weapon as he instead decided to focus on Nix's scans, the hallways slowly forming into the Hunter's optics before he let out a sigh.

"You were told that humans were the ones who were in charge of Rasputin, correct?" The Hunter asked, in which a gained a nod as a response, "well that was half the truth, Sun was the one who actually watched over the Warmind, at least momentarily."

"What?"

"When Rasputin was turned on for the first time, he refused to work with humans, so the scientists here decided to create 'Alpha', to help gain the connection they needed to gain control of Rasputin."

"And it worked?" Angel asked, earning a nod from the veteran Guardian.

"For the longest time yes," Pluto muttered, "But all 'tools' uses come to an end."

Puzzled at the older Hunter's words, Angel opened his mouth to ask what he meant but stopped when Pluto came to a suddenly halt, hearing the Exo take in a breath.

"Gaia?"

Confounded even further, Angel took the chance to glance over Pluto's shoulders, only for his eyes to trace the familiar star shaped form of a Ghost, the latter scanning the controls of one of the computers nearby.

Hearing its name being called, the Ghost turned their yellow optic towards the source, only to pause, "Pluto? What are you doing here?"

The Ghost glided over, letting everyone gain a better view of their shell, which was gold lined with flaming crimson, "I thought you promised Sun that you wouldn't come back here."

"Hey, I kept that promise for several hundred years, didn't I? I don't think Sun would mind if I stop by every few hundred years don't you think?" Pluto retorted, causing the Ghost to let out a chuckle before it paused and hovered a bit higher, its yellow optic blinking once at the group behind the Hunter. Scanning the three Guardians, Gaia's optic paused on the black and azure clad Warlock, "Ianos? Is that you?"

The Awoken Guardian raised his hand and gave the Ghost a light wave, causing the latter to spin their back part once, "Your light… are you well?"

Pausing at Gaia's words, Ianos then shrugged, "I manage."

"And your two friends?" The Ghost nodded their body towards Angel and Carina, the two shifting nervously on their feet as Pluto quickly responded, "Just new additions to my Fireteam."

"H'mm," Gliding past the blind Exo's shoulders, Gaia came to a pause just in front of the younger Guardians, their yellow optic boring into the Hunter and Titan's helmet's, "One of them isn't an Exo." The crimson and yellow Ghost then glided closer to the Titan's face, causing the latter to lean back slightly to ensure they do not touch, "What's your name, young light?"

Confused and surprised, the copper clad Titan stuttered out, "C-Carina-23."

"Carina, a constellation of the sky that represents the keel of a ship," Gaia then glided back to Pluto, leaving the younger Exo even more confounded than ever, "But I take it that she is not part of Clan Galaxy?"

"…A lot has happened." Pluto responded, causing the Ghost to blink once before bobbing their body up and down in understanding, "If you're here to visit Sun, I'll lead the way."

The Ghost then glided pass the blind Exo, entering one of the many halls as the group of four followed.

Xxxxx

"So how did you damage your optic, Nix?"

"Oh, that's a long story, shall we talk about that another time?"

"Of course! Are you able to explain to me how you get around though?"

"Oh! That's easy, I just.."

Letting the conversation of the two Ghost's in front of him fade, Ianos instead turned his gaze towards Pluto, the latter holding his weapon at ready, his stature rigid and ready for battle. Thinking back to their earlier conversation, Ianos let out a light scoff, quiet enough to ensure that the other's not catch ear of it but loud enough for his Ghost to tune in within his helmet.

"Something bothering you?" Ace whispered, keeping their voice low enough to ensure that his Guardian caught wind of it.

"I knew that many 'organic' beings are prejudice against Exo, the two of us saw enough of it when I was newly resurrected." Ianos muttered, causing the Ghost to go silent, "But hearing Pluto talk about his time during the Golden Age, it just made me realize just how bad it is. I mean, look at Carina, I've seen her get angry but not at this level."

"Even in dark times, many still have a hard time understanding anything that they deem…" Ace paused, hesitating, "different."

The Warlock then let out what Ace recognized as a dry chuckle, "The two of us know that much."

This caused the Ghost to pause, going quiet as his Guardian continued to follow the three just ahead of him, the Warlock either had thoughts that his Ghost was done talking or Ianos was the one who was finished. It was rare for the Awoken to bring anything up from his past, even subtle hints and the times he does it was hardly intentional. Tuning in and out on the chat between Nix and Gaia, Ace let their minds wonder back, remembering the time when Ianos first removed his helm in public, back when a group of refugees asked to see his face. Their reaction was almost immediate, as the group of humans cowered away from the mist like features that constantly moved on his pale azure skin and his glowing orange eyes. True, Awoken were on earth by this time, but this was a time before the City, before the three races converged into one, before the three could even work their differences apart to live together. When Ianos saw the look of fear and hate in the refugees' eyes, he immediately replaced his helmet over his head but it was too late. The humans already made their decision. There was no thank you or a glance of gratefulness when Ianos led the group to a safe area. His reward was glances of suspicion and disgust. After that, the Warlock avoided any areas populated with humans, at least, for a while. The next interaction he had with another living being besides a Fallen was another Guardian, an Exo to more precise. That one, Ace recalls clearly, was a lot more pleasant than with the refugees that was for certain.

"Sun? Sun, we have guests."

Interrupted from their thoughts, Ace glanced up from the safety of his Guardian's helmet, only to let out a gasp. The room they just had entered was huge! Computers and controls scoured the walls and floors, multiple wires hanging from the ceiling connected to the – Traveler! Is that the core!? Curiosity getting the best of them, Ace materialized out of Ianos' armor, startling the Warlock as the Ghost glided closer to the large cylindrical center, their optic beaming as they exclaimed, "This is enormous! A core this big!? Just imagine how much power this Warmind has!" A squeal of glee escaped the Ghost, earning puzzled stares from the younger Guardians and a laugh from Pluto as the AI continued to circle the core, temptation to let out its scanner and take in all the information that large cylindrical power source has. But the Ghost knew better. This wasn't just any core. This was the core of Rasputin, the last living Warmind, which they know of anyway. And Ace knows that if they were a giant AI with a core this big filled with all the data in the world, they know for certain that they too would not let a small being like a Ghost even touch them. So the Ghost kept their light to themselves, satisfied with just examining the core from afar.

"I can see that Ace hasn't changed a bit."

A gentle laugh interrupted the Ghost's thoughts, causing Ace to pause and turn their orange optic towards a corner of the room. There, the AI immediately recognized the slim figure of Sun, the orange Exo clad in their black jumpsuit, and in Ace's opinion, looks naked without their Titan armor. Their yellow optics shining brightly in the dim lighting of the room, Sun approached the group of Guardians, placing their hands on their hips as Gaia glided over near their Guardian.

"Sun," Pluto greeted as he sheathed his gun onto his back and held out his hand, the blind Ghost releasing his scans before gliding over and taking his spot in his Guardian's palm, "comfortable without your Titan armor for once?"

"As comfortable as you are without your cloak," Sun chuckled when Pluto's freehand reached up and grabbed the hood of the cloth around his shoulders, "I'm just teasing, no need to be so serious, 'Lovebird'."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Pluto grumbled, causing a smirk to flash onto the orange Exo's features, "Well, Lovebirds sing to their lovers and you were no different back when-"

"Oh shush."

A laugh escaped the former Leader of the Clan Galaxy before the yellow optics jumped from face to face, only for the smile on their metallic features fade, "Is Neptune not with you? After the day where you serenaded him, you two were inseparable. Did you two get into a fight?" The Titan then paused, their yellow optics scanning the Guardians behind Pluto, "And you formed a Fireteam outside of the clan?" Silent for a moment, Sun's features twisted into horror as they returned their gaze to the blind Exo, "Pluto-99…"

Hearing the former leader of the clan call him by full title, the Hunter bowed his head, "Sun, you may want to sit down for this."

Xxxxx

Nix remembers the day when he first resurrected Pluto, back when his Guardian had no name, back when Exo Guardians were treated differently compared to today. Of course, the other Guardians did not treat their Exo comrades with scorn, they sympathize with each other's current predicament. Resurrected with no memory of their past life, told that they were to fight a war against the Darkness the second they were reborn, and living a life constantly on guard. The human civilians on the other hand, would not accept that Exo were sentient, that they were capable of 'emotions', and as such, Exo found themselves constantly living outside of nearby settlements, keeping to themselves to avoid the prejudice against them. The nameless Exo got the worst of it. With no names to back up their claims of sentiency, many humans claim that that was proof enough that they were nothing more than machines, tools to be used and then tossed aside when their use worn down. Then Sun came along, and helped those without names find an identity, a purpose, and formed the Clan to keep the Exo Guardians together.

Being the leader consisting of many Exo who were reborn without memory of their name, Sun always kept a confident outlook, their stance sturdy and seemingly invisible. So it came to a surprise to the blind Ghost when he sent out scans, only to find Sun burying their face into their hands where they sat, the Guardians seated at the table where Pluto decided to break the news to the former leader now quiet, as they waited in silent contemplation for the Titan to gather their bearings.

"All those years of work, only to crumble down because of the Darkness," Sun sighed into their hands before lifting their head up, turning their yellow optics to the blind Exo, "So you're leader of the clan now?"

Seeing the blind Exo nod, Sun heaved out a sigh as they leaned back in their chair, "Any potential members?'

"You know as well as I do, Sun, that is going to be near impossible."

Clasping their hands together on their lap, Sun's yellow optics flickered slightly before they added, "There were more than thirty of us, Pluto, there should be more out there."

"But yet, how many of them were found and resurrected by Ghosts?" Pluto retorted, causing the former leader to go silent, "I will try and keep the Clan Galaxy running, but I will not deny that I may be the sole member for years to come or perhaps, 'always' be the lone member."

Sighing, Sun leaned back in their seat, crossing their legs before they started, "If it wasn't for the fact that I am 'dead' to those back at the Tower, I would have reclaimed leadership and helped rebuild, if of course you were willing to relinquish it."

"Always."

Smiling at the blind Exo's response, Sun continued, "Nonetheless, it was nice of you to come all this way and inform me of the Clan's fate."

"That's not why we're here."

This immediately wiped the smile off of the former Titan's metallic features, "Oh? I guess I should have expected that when you brought the younger lights here." They nodded their heads towards Carina and Angel, the latter shifting nervously in his seat when Sun added, "What brings you here then? Despite your 'promise' on never returning?" Their expression blank, the former Titan calmly placed their hands on the table in front of them, "I honestly thought you were here to visit an 'old friend.'"

Flinching at the sudden shift in tone of the former Clan leader, Pluto responded, "We're here to ask for help."

'…Help?" Sun repeated, "You do know what happened to the last batch of Guardians who asked for 'help'?"

Momentarily silent, Pluto nodded, "Pieces of them were found all over the Cosmodrome. Took us weeks to put them back together." The Hunter then paused, hesitating, "Don't tell me that was you?"

"You mean tearing them apart? No, that was Rasputin," Sun nodded their head upwards, as if to point the group of Guardians to the core just outside of the room that they were seated in, "Spreading of their bodies however, yes, that was me."

"The reason?"

"To send a message. Rasputin is not just a tool to be used at leisure." The orange Exo scoffed, "He is an AI. He has as much sentience like anyone else. He deserves to be asked, not 'demanded.'"

Leaning back in his seat, Pluto contemplated, his blind gaze staring ahead before he spoke, "Then how about you help us and we'll owe you a favor?"

Almost immediately, a song echoed throughout the room followed by incoherent words, causing the Fireteam to abruptly stand up, weapons at ready.

"Sit down," Sun warned, their yellow optics glaring at the Guardians as they glanced over at the former Titan, "that's just Rasputin. Shoot that weapon and you're considered target practice for his defenses."

"That…was Rasputin?" It was Angel who spoke, following his team's example and taking his seat, eyeing the room around them warily.

"What? You expect that you can only talk to him through a console?" Sun asked, causing the Hunter's face to flush red, "Before you 'interrupted', Rasputin had said 'What can the Guardians give me in return when I have everything I need here?'"

"Back up," Pluto immediately responded, causing Sun to recoil at the blind Exo's words, "Whenever you need aid, we'll be there. Just give us a call."

Hearing Sun go silent, Pluto continued, "You know as well as I do that Rasputin's bunker is a large area. True, he has his defenses but you know there will be a day when something will slip in unnoticed and who knows, you may be a former Guardian, but even you know you have your limits." Pausing on his words, the blind Exo finished, "A single Guardian can only do so much, you know that."

Heaving out a sigh, Sun rubbed the back of their neck, soaking in the words of their former comrade in arms, "We have been getting an influx of Fallen lately."

A song and Russian immediately echoed into the room, startling the Guardians once more before Sun immediately responded, "Now, now Rasputin, you know it's true. We are strong when we can keep intruders out, but we are weak when they get in. You did, after all, call in Guardians for aid with the Hive breach, remember? It would be nice to have someone to call instead of sending out a distress signal randomly in hopes of getting help eventually."

Once again, Rasputin spoke but, to the Guardians, it sounded like muttering, and from what the AI said, it made Sun chuckle.

"Is Rasputin, pouting?" Pluto asked, earning a smile from his former Leader.

"Consider yourself lucky, he's hardly this 'emotional'," Sun grinned before they stood up, signaling to the Guardians to stand up as well, "So, we have a deal then. I'll help with whatever task you need and in return, you'll be our assistance when we need it." The Exo's tone then turned serious, their yellow optics narrowing as they added, "You better keep your end of the bargain."

"I knew you long enough Sun, it's a 'very' bad idea to break a deal with you," Pluto let a smirk flash onto his metallic features, "anyone who does is an idiot."

"You got that right," the smile flashed back onto Sun's face, "Now then, tell me what your task is and I'll see if Rasputin is able to accomplish it."

It was then silence wavered over the group of Guardians, something that did not went unnoticed by the former Titan, "What? What is it?"

"Er, please don't be angry with me," Pluto muttered, earning a puzzled look from the orange Exo, "I know how you much you dislike Fallen and well…"

Staring at their former comrade in arms, Sun finally put the pieces together and almost immediately, their yellow optics widen in surprise as they took several steps back, "Please tell me that you are looking for a Fallen because it is a threat to the Tower and not to save it."

"Well…"

"You serious?" Sun groaned when they gained a nod as a response, "Of all the little- Why a Fallen?! They're pests! They give Rasputin and I trouble more often than you think!"

"Hey! That's my friend you're talking about!" Sun turned their optics towards the Hunter of the team, easily sensing the glare they were receiving behind the helmet, "Not all Eliksni are the same you know."

"F-Friend?" Sun turned their optics towards Pluto, who simply shrugged. The orange Exo then turned their attention back onto the human Hunter, "You are friends with a Fallen?"

"Eliksni," Angel corrected, startling Sun once more, "and she's just not a friend, she's my best friend."

Blinking several times, Sun turned their gaze towards Pluto once more hoping for an answer but when they received another shrug as a response, the orange Exo heaved out a sigh of defeat, "Guess things change when you 'disappear' for years at a time, I imagine?"

This earned the former Leader a snort from the blind Exo, "You think? I was gone for several decades and came back to the Tower to find Sunbreaker marks amongst the Titans."

"You're joking."

"Why would I be joking about something like that?"

Letting out a sigh as Sun rubbed the back of their neck, the Exo then stated, "Finding your…Eliksni friend shouldn't be too difficult if she is near one of the towers located in the Cosmodrome."

Turning around to exit the room, Sun waved for the Guardians to follow before heading back into the core room, walking up to the console before they started typing away. Hearing the Guardians' footsteps pause behind them, Sun spoke, "Rasputin has access to all the Towers or any area with any active technology and as such, it should be easy to find your friend." Tapping a side button, a screen flashed into view, showing glowing yellow dots on the map, "These are the active towers and if I press this…" Tapping another button, multiple video feeds flashed onto the screen before them, "This shows the area around them."

"Wow," Carina breathed, her violet optics going wide as Sun started tapping through each feed, the latter waving Angel forward, "do you look through these often?"

"Only if there are nearby 'annoyances'," Sun muttered before turning their attention to Angel, "Alright, I'm going to go through each feed and you have to point out which one has your friend."

Giving the former Titan an incredulous look, Angel glanced up at the screen, "But…there's so many. We don't have time to look through them all."

That's when Angel heard Sun heave out a sigh, "Fine then, hold out your Ghost."

The Hunter snapped his gaze towards the former Titan, "What?"

"Hold out your Ghost," Sun repeated, gesturing with their hand as if to empathize their statement.

At first puzzled, Angel reluctantly held out his Ghost, Hope blinking in his palm as she glanced back and forth between the Exo and human.

"You sure that's a good idea?" It was Gaia, the yellow and red Ghost gliding over their Guardian's shoulder, watching as Sun grabbed Angel's wrist and dragged the Hunter over to Rasputin's core.

"He'll be fine," Sun responded, making the Hunter and Ghost pause just in front of the core, "Maybe. If not, his Ghost can easily resurrect him. Maybe. If the Ghost survives."

"Wait, what?"

"Rasputin."

Almost immediately, arc energy crackled around the Warmind's core before lashing out towards Hope, the white and red Ghost letting out a high pitched squeal as it connected with her shell. No sooner had the energy latched itself onto Hope, Angel felt it discharge through his hand, up his arm and completely into his body, causing the Hunter to let out a scream as pain overwhelmed his senses.

"Sun! What the fuck is going on-"

Pluto's shout suddenly was cut off as Angel's vision blurred before feeling something tug at his mind, pulling until Angel felt his mind disconnect, as if he was floating instead of his feet planted firmly on the ground. Before he could process what was going on, Angel felt another presence in his mind, muttering incoherent words before memories flashed through his head.

Stumbling through the Cosmodrome until he bumped into an injured Dreg. Tended to its wound around the eyes. Giving it supplies to help it return to its House. Saving a Vandal from the cold during his trip to the Wall. Receiving a bow from said Vandal before it wondered off, confusing the Hunter. Other Eliksni slowly showing curiosity, not ferocity, some even taking tentative steps towards him during his trip to the City. Shared his supplies with them while in turn they taught him about their culture, their language, up until he reached the Wall where they left. Taking repeated trips to the Cosmodrome, bumping into the Dreg he had saved, a scar now running across diagonally across two of its eyes. The two chatted frequently, slowly learning each other's tongue to eventually learn each other's name.

 _Ixrsis._

Angel heard the name echo through his mind before he found himself on the floor in the core room, the edges of his vision blurry as he felt someone grab him by the shoulders and shake him.

"Angel! You alive!?"

Blinking the haziness around his vision away, Angel slowly recognized the voice as Carina before he let out a groan, feeling the Exo perk up as he did so.

"Thank the Traveler!" Angel heard her cry before he felt himself being pulled into a hug – a death hug- causing him to let out a wheeze as he felt the air being squeezed out of him.

"Carina! Let go, you're killing him!"

A loud gasp soon permeated through the air before Angel felt Carina's arms unwrap around him, letting the Hunter fall onto his back as he took in deep breaths, taking back in precious air into his lungs before he heard someone approach behind up and pushed him up into a seated position.

"Klutz." Angel heard Ianos mutter before the Warlock held something out in front of him, the Hunter barely catching sight of the familiar white and red shell of his Ghost. Dazed, Angel reached out and tenderly cupped Hope in his hands, giving Ianos a nod of thanks before turning attention to the small AI.

"What. Was. That?" Hope asked as she bobbed up and down in her Guardian's palm, shaking her body side to side as if to shake off dizziness, "That hurt."

It was then someone cleared their throat, causing all eyes to turn towards Pluto, the blind Exo now turning his gaze towards Sun and giving the best glare he had behind his makeshift blindfold. Sun, sensing the glare from their former clan mate, released a sheepish smile and shrugged.

"Sun."

"Alright fine," The smile on Sun's orange metallic features faded, "I let Rasputin scan his memories. Happy?"

"Scan his memories!?" Pluto gawked, his jaw hanging open before he roared out, "You know how dangerous that is!? It could have killed him!"

"It could have what!?" Angel's eyes went wide, his shocked gaze fixating onto the two Exo.

"He's still alive," Sun muttered as they walked up to the panel, tapping on several of the buttons as they glanced up at the screen, "and now we have the coordinates to your friend. Wasn't too hard to find her. After all, not many Fallen have a scar like hers."

"Eliksni." Angel corrected once more as he attempted to push himself onto his feet, Carina leaning down and giving him support when he stumbled, "and how the heck did Rasputin do that?"

"The reason why he looked through your memories was to find a distinguishable mark or something 'special' to find your 'friend'." Sun explained before they nodded to their Ghost who returned the nod of their own before gliding over to Nix, letting out a stream of light into the blind Ghost's optic, "then after finding that mark, Rasputin himself went through each tower located in the Cosmodrome spreading out his consciousness into each individual technology that is in proximity. Since Fallen just 'love' to have old technology amongst them, it wasn't too difficult."

Sun then leaned away from the panel, turning their attention back onto the Guardians, "I've sent the coordinates to Gaia, they'll transfer the data to your Ghosts momentarily." Pausing, Sun watched their Ghost glide from one Ghost to another, each Guardian holding out their AI partner to gather up the data, "As soon as the information is sent, I would highly appreciate you leave."

"What?" Carina glanced up, her violet optics blinking at the Exo Titan in front of her as Spears materialized back into her armor, startling the red and yellow Ghost in front of them, "Why?"

In response, Sun gave the younger Exo a blank stare, "Now, I really do appreciate 'visitors' time to time, you are Guardians on a 'mission' and I have made a promise to myself that I will not get involved with the Guardians years ago."

"But you're a Guardian yourself," Angel retorted, letting Hope glide from his hand and hover over his shoulder, "Why would…" The Hunter stopped mid-sentence, his eyes going wide in realization, "You're a rogue?"

"And that is why I did not want the Vanguard to know that Sun is still alive," Pluto muttered as he crossed his arms, "If they know that Sun went rogue, they would have sent other Guardians to retrieve them and if they resist…" The Exo Hunter's voice faded, hesitating on his words before he shook his head, "Enough, the three of you, outside, I need to speak to Sun. Privately."

Carina hesitated, "But-"

"Come on."

The Exo let out a yelp as she felt the back of her armor being grabbed while Ianos then grabbed Angel by the cloak, causing the human to let out a choke as the Awoken dragged the younger Guardians out of the room and into the next, the four paneled doors closing behind them. Waiting momentarily to ensure that the Guardians were out of ear shot, Pluto turned his attention back to his former Leader, a frown on their metallic features, "What the hell was that?"

Sun shrugged innocently, "What?"

"Angel," Pluto hissed, earning an innocent smile from the Exo Titan, "Why the fuck were you using him like a test subject?"

"Oh, you figured it out?" Sun then let out another shrug, "What? I can't use a human as a test subject? The humans didn't exactly ask for our consent either back then."

"That was during the Golden Age," Pluto retorted, earning a frown from the orange Exo, "Humans have changed, Sun, you heard what Angel said about making friends with an Eliksni."

"He is but 'one' human," Sun argued, their yellow optics glaring at the Exo Hunter, "who is going to miss one human if my little 'experiment' did indeed kill him?"

"Sun!"

"The humans didn't care about us back when we lived here!" The Exo roared, startling Pluto to the point where the blind Exo took several steps back, "Do you know how many of us they used to test out their weaponry!? How many of us begged for our lives while they just laughed behind glass windows!? And let's not forget as soon as they got control of Rasputin, they killed us all because they thought of us as 'obsolete'!" Sun curled their hands into fists as they continued, "And don't you remember when we first were reborn? The humans did not change. They still saw us as tools, machines to be used and tossed aside." The Exo then closed in the distance between them and the Hunter, pressing their face against Pluto's as they snarled, "And until the day the humans can learn how to be 'tolerant', I will stay here and help Rasputin protect the last traces of their kin, where I do not have to be reminded of their hypocrisy."

With their words spoken, Sun turned around in a huff, returning to the controls before Pluto could come up with a retort.

Watching his former clan leader tap away at the panel, the Exo Hunter stayed silent before speaking, "Everyone deserves a second chance, Sun, even the humans."

Seeing Sun pause at the panel, their hands curling into fists hovering above the keys, Pluto took it as a sign to take his leave, giving Sun a short bow before turning around and exiting. Hearing the doors shut behind them, Sun placed their hands on the edge of the keys, heaving out a sigh. It was then the song and words echoed through the room, causing the orange Exo to shake their head.

"Not yet," Sun murmured as they started tapping away at the panel once more, "I need more time. Not yet."


	14. Crash Landing

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Crash Landing**_

* * *

 _That moment where you know you have the plotline and end all ready but then realize that there is going to be a lot more chapters than you expect. I seriously expected to get this book done in 20 chapters but looking at where I am now and how much more of the story I have planned out, I realize that it's not going to happen. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter guys C:_

* * *

It was strange, in all his years of his life, Oraxsis never imagined the day when he would lay his eyes upon The Great Machine. Although, back then, it would have been with the destruction of the human city and his people reclaiming it through chaos and death, but, right here, standing on the edge of the Plaza, while Axtris chittered excitedly as she leaned over the railing as if to close the distance between her and the being they had called a god for years, it was just as good and maybe, even better.

"Your first time seeing the Traveler up close?"

Turning his four eyes towards the male Guardian, Oraxsis tilted his head curiously at the grin on the human's pale features, "Even I have to admit, even though I see it almost every day, I still get struck with awe." Turning his golden eyes back towards the Traveler, the Titan crossed his arms as he added, "If you think it is amazing now, you should see it when night comes. It literately lights up the sky."

The larger Eliksni just let out a light grunt, " _I am amazed at being able to see it, even once."_ Oraxsis turned his eyes back towards the Traveler as well, " _I had believed that I will never be able to see this 'Great Machine' that my people keep preaching about."_ The Baron then fixated his gaze upon the back of the female Vandal, the latter climbing onto the railing much to the female Warlock's exasperation, " _I didn't even believe that Axtris will live long enough to see it as well."_

"Well now you're here, despite the circumstances," Akiva flashed the male Eliksni a grin before he turned his attention back to the female Vandal who was now crouching on the railings, her four eyes looking up at the Traveler with awe clear in her gaze.

Momentarily silent, Oraxsis kept his gaze upon the Traveler as he asked, " _I am curious, hu-_ Aaakiiivaaa, _why did you and your litter mate decide to help us? Why are you not against us like the other Guardians here?"_

At first, there was no response as the human Titan instead turned his golden eyes towards the Eliksni, bewilderment clear in his gaze before turning his eyes towards his Ghost who was hovering above his shoulder, "Litter mate?"

"Your sister, Akiva," Lex explained, only to earn another confounded look from the Titan, "I believe litter mate is a term used by the Eliksni to represent siblings, those who were born from the same parent at least."

"Oooh," Akiva returned his gaze to the Baron and gave the male Eliksni another grin, "What a silly question, it's because Angel trusts you and since he's our friend, we trust you as well."

"… _Is that the only reason?"_ Oraxsis asked, turning his gaze upon the human, who then shrugged, "Well if you want an honest answer, I'm also curious, it's not every day that an Eliksni walks up to your front door and asks for help."

"… _We didn't walk up to your front door. We climbed up the walls and –_ "

"It's a metaphor, no need to take it seriously," Akiva laughed, earning a bewildered look from the Baron, "Look, don't worry about it, my sister and I, we won't stab you in the back if that's what you think. We're not those kind of people. We trust you as much as we trust Angel, so if anyone comes up and tries to harm you guys, Aleeza and I have your back."

Blinking, Oraxsis watched as Akiva let out a short laugh and walked towards the two females as the Vandal had attempted to climb over the railing and onto the walls below, much to Aleeza's exasperation as she called out to her twin for help, the larger Eliksni easily pulling the Warlock with her as she attempted to climb over. Hearing the Titan call out his approach as he headed towards them, the Eliksni Baron contemplated on the human Guardians words. It was strange, to the older Eliksni, how the pair treated them with trust and respect, unlike back at the House, if you do not watch your own back, you may find the one who you called your closest friend the one who will betray you. But the two Guardians show no hesitation, no doubt, that both he and Axtris will not harm them, despite their people's history together. Letting out a soft grunt, Oraxsis watched as Axtris easily slipped away from the two Guardians' grasp, sliding over the railing before disappearing from sight. Before the twins could react, Axtris suddenly skyrocketed into the air, performing a leap before she landed gracefully right in front of the Baron, beaming when Oraxsis let out a low rumble of approval.

"Why the – is that what you were planning all along?!" Aleeza shouted as she ran up to the two Eliksni, only to earn a sly grin from the smaller Eliksni, "…were you intentionally trying to scare me?"

" _It was amusing while it lasted."_ Axtris chittered, causing the female Warlock to place a hand on her face and sigh, earning a laugh from her twin as the Titan came to a pause next to her, "I asked you if you wanted to keep an eye on Oraxsis but you insisted on wanting to watch Axtris."

"Oh yes, like a small Warlock like me can keep up with an Eliksni Baron."

"Hey, I watched you take on Cabal three times his size! Shouldn't have been too difficult."

"That was out in the field! This is a wholly different situation!"

Before the two could continue on their bicker, Lena glided in between the twins, startling them as the red and white Ghost spun her back parts once, "Incoming Message: From Pluto."

This caught everyone's attention. "What does it say?" Aleeza asked.

Lena paused, processing the message before she responded, "They found Ixrsis' location."

Xxxxx

" _I fear the Rebels have made an alliance with another power, my Captain. I believe it to be the Guardians. They have been getting closer and closer to our position every day."_

" _Your point?"_

Olkar watched as the Vandal dipped lower to the ground, their stature clearly submissive as the Captain glowered at them, waiting for their response.

" _I-I just believe we should move on. Find another position to carry out this execution, in case we are interrupted and-"_

It was then, Olkar watched as the Captain unsheathed his shock blade and before the Vandal could react, swung the weapon through the smaller Eliksni's chest, the armor doing little against the energized blade. As the Captain pulled the weapon out, the Vandal glanced down, shock clear on their expressions before glancing up at their superior, their four limbs shaking as it reached up to the wound. Then slowly, the smaller Eliksni collapsed onto their knees and fell to their side, the life in their eyes fading soon after.

" _Anyone else want to go against orders?"_ The Captain snarled, causing every single Eliksni in the room, including Olkar, to glance away and resume their duties. Listening to the Captain let out huff, Olkar waited until he heard the large footsteps of the larger Eliksni exit the room, signaling to the Vandal to glance up from the tool he held in his hands, his four eyes glancing around to ensure that everyone else's attention was elsewhere before he placed the tool down and slowly crawled his way towards a nearby exit.

Making his way out of the room, Olkar glanced around once more before catching sight of one of the vents, slowly making his way towards it until he was close enough to pull the lid off and then place it on the floor. However, before he could heft himself inside, a low rumble emitted behind the Vandal. Twirling around, Olkar narrowed his eyes at another Vandal in front of him, the latter crossing their arms and tilting their head curiously.

" _Going to 'visit' the Prisoner again?"_ The Vandal asked.

Instead of answering, Olkar let out a low snarl, but it was enough to answer the Vandal's question.

" _You're taking a risk giving Ether to a prisoner who is going to be executed in less than a day's time."_ The Vandal stated, earning low huff from Olkar, " _especially since Ether is scarce."_

" _I am using my own share,"_ Olkar growled, " _It is not like I am disobeying orders."_

" _Unless you call visiting a 'traitor' not disobeying orders."_

Glaring at the Vandal, Olkar hissed, " _Then why not turn me in, Vellak? Not only will you expose a 'traitor', you might get an extra ration of Ether for your 'honesty."_

A rumble emitted from the other Vandal, one of which Olkar recognized as a chuckle, " _If you think I was here to expose you, I would have done it the first time I have seen you 'visit' the prisoner."_

Watching Olkar recoil from his words, Vellak shrugged before uncrossing his arms, " _For me, it matters not what you do, as long as you do not get caught."_

Vellak then approach Olkar, raising up one of his upper arms as he paused in front of his fellow Vandal. Puzzled, Olkar glanced down only to pause when he saw a glass canister, the contents glowing white with a tinge of blue. Immediately lifting his gaze, Olkar started, " _Is this…"_

Instead of responding, Vellak instead used his other hand to grab one of Olkar's upper arms and then placing the container in his hand, " _I am only doing this because we are litter mates, Olkar, not because I pity the Captain that you often visit."_ Then releasing his grasp from his fellow Vandal's hands, Vellak let out a grunt, " _Although I do believe her stories of a Guardian tending to her wound."_

" _You believe them?"_

" _You don't?"_

When Vellak gained only silence as an answer, the Vandal shook his head, " _And yet you are helping her?"_

" _I'm only doing so because I believe that it is time to create peace between the Guardians and our people,"_ Olkar retorted, his four eyes glaring at his fellow Eliksni, " _I am tired of the fighting and constant need to scavenge for survival. If we do make an alliance with the Guardians, then we don't have worry about scraping up every last ounce of Ether to survive."_

A low rumble emitted from Vellak, earning another bewildered look from his litter mate, " _Although I do believe that peace between 'some' Guardians are possible, I do not believe that complete peace will be attainable."_

" _And what makes you believe that?"_

Vellak's four luminescent eyes blinked, tilting cocking his head slightly to one side as he responded, _"Because I too was saved by a Guardian."_

It was then, Olkar recoiled from his litter mate's words, taking several steps back as doubt flashed in his eyes, " _Is that why you believe Ixrsis' story then? But why do you not believe that peace is-"_

" _A storm flew over me during one of my patrols,"_ Vellak interrupted, causing Olkar to go silent, _"I had attempted to find shelter but the cold soon overwhelmed my senses, and soon, I found myself falling into the snow's cold embrace. When I awoke, I found a Guardian attempting to keep a fire alive to keep me warm, even as to using their own cloak to cover me, ensuring my survival."_ The Vandal paused, looking at Olkar to see if he had a response. When Olkar motioned for his litter mate to continue, Vellak added, " _He too was cold, from the way his body shook and the way he rubbed his arms in a vain attempt to keep warm. But the Guardian was more concerned with my own survival, my life, from the way he looked over and saw me awake and then immediately lowered himself to the floor, to show that he means no harm, even to go as far as going to a corner of the cave, far away from the fire and warmth._

 _We did not speak each other's tongue, so it was hard, to convince him to come nearer to the fire without use of words. In the end, I too had to lower myself to the floor, signifying that I would do no harm if he were to get close."_

It was then Vellak paused, a low rumbling emitting from the Vandal, " _It was strange. Although he does not know our language, he learned enough of our body posture to communicate just enough to show that he was willing to help and that he was an ally, not an enemy. He continued to tend to me until the storm calmed, and it was then I did something I never thought I would do to a Guardian, and from his scent, a human. I bowed."_

Watching Olkar's eyes grow wide, Vellak continued his story, _"I had wished to meet this Guardian again someday, to properly thank him for saving my life."_ He then shook his head, " _But the months passed and when I saw no sight of him, I feared that the Darkness took his life. So, in an attempt to properly thank the Guardian, I tried contacting others."_

It was then Olkar took in a sharp breath, " _You didn't…"_

Although the Ether mask obscured much of his features, the way Vellak's eyes turned up a little and the sad glint in his blue eyes was enough to show he was smiling, one filled with disappointment and sadness. Without speaking a word, Vellak held up one of his upper arms and using his opposite hand, started unlatching the bracer. Hearing the familiar 'click' of the latch coming undone, Vellak then unsheathed his arm from the armor, and almost immediately, Olkar let out a low snarl. The Vandal's arm was covered in scars and burns, the former showing signs of guarding knives blows to their vulnerable neck and head.

" _As you can see, these attempts were not successful,"_ Vellak then fitted the bracer back around his arm, earning a curious look from Olkar, " _In the end, after many attempts, I gave up altogether. The Guardians I came into contact with were more willing to fight than talk."_ A sigh then escaped the Vandal, his shoulders drooping in disappointment, " _When I heard Ixrsis preach of an alliance with the Guardians, I had thought of joining her rebellion. But..."_ The Vandal glowered down at his hands, lifting up his palms to show the scars from knives and light, _"The memories of the Guardians that I attempted peace with, who attacked me when I was unarmed, even when I lowered myself to the ground, even raising my hands in surrender, the memories overcame me, and it prevented me from joining the Rebels."_ Bitterly, Vellak lifted his gaze back towards Olkar, who stood silent as the Vandal added, " _True, there may be some Guardians who are willing to make an alliance with us, but there will be enough who will be against it, and many of which, are willing to take innocent Eliksni lives if it ever comes to reality."_

" _Doesn't mean we can't try."_ Olkar immediately muttered, pausing when Vellak's four eyes narrowed. Expecting the Vandal to attack, Olkar got into a defensive position. This caused Vellak to snort and shake his head. Then without another word, the Vandal turned and exited the room, causing Olkar to blink once before relaxing, glancing round several more times before shifting the Ether canister into one of his lower arms, turning around and hefting himself into the vents. Then, turning around, the Vandal leaned over from the opening and lifted the lid, shutting the vents before turning around and started to crawl, grunting at the small space he was forced to move around in.

Back when he was a Dreg, Olkar had an easier time moving around in the vents, easily slipping past Vandals and Captains and into the Ether rooms, where he would steal Ether to sustain his then younger sick litter mates. However, even with the aid of Vellak, a litter mate born years earlier before Olkar, many of them are dead now though, the only one remaining alive thanks to the kindness of Ixrsis, who was a Vandal then, tended to the then wounded female Dreg, having been unfortunate enough to be near a Guardian's void grenade during a battle. She survived, but her legs had been destroyed by the void light and Ixrsis was the one who crafted replacements for her, letting his litter mate rise to the rank of Vandal. Now she was part of the Rebels, having escaped the house with several Servitors to enact their rebellion. Admittedly, Olkar would have joined the rebellion as well, if it wasn't for the fact that he was out on patrol during said rebellion and returned, only to be threatened with death if he even showed a sign of loyalty to the rebels. Grumbling at his own luck, Olkar's eyes lit up when he sighted the familiar vent to the cells, using his upper arms to push said vent out and sliding out onto the floor, letting a smile form onto his leathery features.

" _Olkar? That you, yes?"_

Turning to the familiar voice, the Vandal turned around, his gaze immediately sighting cell doors before scampering over, reaching out to the pack around his belt before present two Ether canisters, " _Here, this should help you regain your strength."_

It was then four glowing eyes illuminated the dark inside the cell, only for them to narrow, " _Did I not say not to come here? If they catch you-"_

" _They are not going to catch me,"_ Olkar retorted as he reached out and used his upper hands to grab the Captain's upper arms before forcing the two Ether canisters into them, " _I am a stealth Vandal remember? I can easily cloak and escape if that ever comes to that."_

" _Not unless they shoot you first, no?"_ Ixrsis frowned, although she did slip her upper hands out from the Vandal's before shifting towards the her belt, pressing a button on one of the packs wrapped around her waist, the familiar hissing sound echoing through the cell before the lid slowly lifted up, revealing a nearly empty Ether canister. Watching Ixrsis remove the old one and replacing it with a new one, Olkar stated, " _I am not just here to give you Ether."_

This caused Ixrsis to pause, the empty canister in her lower arms in an action to break it, " _What you mean?"_

Waving for the Captain to come closer, Olkar watched as Ixrsis placed the empty canister on the floor, and stuffed the second one in another pack on her belt before scooting closer to the bars, " _I had intended to speak to you about this days ago, but I feared on how you would react."_

This earned the younger Eliksni a frown, " _I am your friend, no? You do not trust me?"_

" _I trust, I trust,"_ Olkar immediately defended, earning a small snort from the Captain, " _Just, be quiet, okay?"_

It was then Olkar reached into his pack and pulled a small object out, cupping it in his hands and presenting it to the female Captain, " _Ready?"_

When the Captain nodded, Olkar took in a breath before removing one of his hands, and almost immediately, Ixrisis let out a gasp.

" _Hello."_

Xxxxx

"So, you're telling me, a long dead leader of a nearly extinct Clan, is still alive tending to Rasputin?" Akiva asked, earning a nod from the younger Guardian.

"And don't forget to add one with a grudge against humanity," Angel sighed, causing Akiva to let out wince at the Hunter's words, "So in all due respect, when I get the chance, going to warn the Vanguard to leave Rasputin alone. Otherwise, they're going to find more bodies spread across the Cosmodrome, if of course, Pluto doesn't report to them beforehand."

"Wait, does the Vanguard know about Sun's existence?" Aleeza asked, shaking her head when the Hunter remained silent, "I'll take that as a no."

"Pluto made us promise not to tell anyone, especially the Vanguard about them," Angel muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So, if you guys can-"

"Lips sealed," Akiva motioned his hand over his lips, smiling at the sheepish smile he earned from the younger Guardian.

"Akiva, Aleeza, Angel, care to join us?"

Turning their eyes towards another part of the Hangar, the three Guardians came to a pause when their gaze paused upon Pluto's form, the Hunter's arms crossed as he tapped his foot impatiently, Nix hovering above his Guardian's shoulder as he blinked. He and the others were already gathered around near their ships, even Oraxsis and Axtris, the two Eliksni easily towering over the Guardians as they waited for the other three to join in.

Akiva giving the others a sheepish smile, the three Guardians approached the group, earning a satisfied nod from the Exo Hunter, "From the data we gathered, we have to have our ships. Angel's friend is being held in a Fallen Ketch."

"…Please tell me you're joking," Aleeza's eyes fell when Pluto shook his head.

"True, they have been moving her around often, but as of right now, they're staying in the air until her execution which is less than a day from now. Since we have no clue on where the execution site will be, we might as well strike now."

"Are we going to have any backup?" Carina asked.

"Only if necessary," Pluto responded, earning a puzzled look from the female Exo, "If I theorize correctly, Ixrsis might not be the only prisoner aboard the Ketch. Perhaps other Fa-Eliksni rebels might be imprisoned with her, and who knows, maybe some Guardians are well. However, if that is the case, then we do not want any…accidents if backup is necessary."

"You mean Guardians just shooting every Eliksni they see?" Ianos asked, in which Pluto nodded once more.

"If we want this group of Rebels to align with us, we have to take every precaution into consideration," The Exo Hunter explained, "so for now, it will be just the six of us."

" _We are coming too,"_ Oraxsis butted in, earning startled looks from the Guardians, " _She is our leader, it is the least we can do."_

"But if anything happens to you-"

" _I am a Baron, yes, but Captain Ixrsis' life is more valuable than my own,"_ This caused Angel to pause on his words, " _Without her, there would have been no rebellion, and if it hadn't been for that traitor, she would have never been captured. She is powerful, despite her rank."_

"We need every help we can get," Pluto responded, earning a gawking look from the human Hunter, "Angel, I know you are worried of their safety, especially since we have the power to resurrect, and they do not. But if they volunteer, I can't say no, especially since they were the ones who requested our help."

"But-"

" _Do not worry about us, Pure One,"_ Axtris chirped, her four eyes beaming at the human to give him comfort, " _We did not survive this long for no reason. We are just as strong as any Guardian here."_

"…Fine," Angel sighed in defeated, "Any ideas how to board it?"

That's when a strained silence permeated between the Guardians and the two Eliksni, causing the Hunter to shift nervously on his feet, "Please tell me you have an idea."

"I do," Pluto blurted, raising his hand so Nix materialized onto his palm, "It's just…" He shook his head before he sighed, earning a puzzled look from his allies, "When…my 'friend' transferred the data of Ixrsis' location, they also sent us a code. A stealth code."

"What? But he didn't say anything about sending us a stealth code." Ianos frowned behind his helmet, crossing his arms as he leaned on one side, "Don't tell me that this thing is untested."

"It's untested." Pluto responding, earning a sigh from the Awoken Warlock, "Look, if anyone else has any other good ideas then please do, speak up."

"We can just-"

"Flying full speed ahead into the side of the ship isn't an option, Akiva" Pluto interrupted, "Especially since the Ketch is armed with 'cannons' and weapons specifically built to shoot down ships like ours."

Shaking his head at the sheepish laugh he earned from the Titan, Pluto continued, "Each of our ships will be encrypted with the stealth code. As for rides," The Exo Hunter turned his blind eyes towards the two Eliksni, "Oraxsis will be riding with me while Axtris will be riding with you, Angel."

Almost immediately, a rumble emitted from the larger Eliksni, and Pluto could easily sense the glare he was receiving from the Baron.

"Look, we can rendezvous at the Ketch when we land, but we can't fit both you and Axtris onto Angel's ship. It's either that or the three of you will be weighted down and the cloak 'may' not last long enough for you to reach the Ketch." This caused Oraxsis to pause as Pluto continued, "So if you really want to help, then follow my directions, then maybe, we can save your leader."

Letting out a grunt, Oraxsis let out a reluctant nod, signaling to Pluto to turn his attention to the rest of the team, "Alright, the encryption will take a few minutes, so the few moments we have, get your gear ready since as soon as we land on that Ketch, there will be no time for last minute changes. More than likely it will be guarded heavily." He then focused his attention back onto the two Eliksni, "Since it's a Fall- Eliksni ship, we will be splitting into two teams with Axtris and Oraxsis in each one. Angel, Ianos, Carina, you three will be going with Axtris while Akiva, Aleeza, and I will be with Oraxsis. As soon as we land on that Ketch, we will split up, that way, we can cover more ground. If one team finds Ixrsis, then immediately relay a message to the other team as quickly as you can. We will then meet up at the bay of the Ketch and hopefully, escape from there."

"You make it sound so easy," Carina muttered, her violet optics narrowing at the Hunter, "I just hope it goes smoothly as you explain it."

"With my past experiences, it won't," Pluto deadpanned, earning a blank look from his fellow Exo, "The best we can expect that we will be able to rescue Ixrsis and make it out alive."

"Terrific," The female Exo murmured as Nix glided out of Pluto's palm and started sending light onto their ships.

Xxxxx

Seated upon the stairs, Oraxsis tilted his head in curiosity as he watched the Guardians converse and held out their weapons, pointing at the others as if to point out flaws or perks, letting it materialize back into their inventory before moving onto the next.

" _The Guardians are lucky, able to flawlessly pick out weapons as they please."_

Oraxsis turned his gaze towards Axtris, the Vandal sitting next to him as she let out a huff, " _While we only have limited weapons to aid us against our foes."_

" _Spoiled is what they are,"_ The Baron grunted, earning a low rumble from the female Vandal, an Eliksni equivalent to a chuckle, " _It is thanks to our lack of supplies that we adapt so quickly. If we lose our gun, we move onto our knives. If our knives fail us, then we quickly move onto our fists. True, Guardians are powerful with their arsenal, but remove them, and they are defenseless as an armless dreg."_

" _But how often does that occur, Baron Oraxsis?"_ Axtris chittered, earning another grunt from the larger Eliksni, " _How often does the chance to disarm a Guardian occur?"_

"… _Not often enough,"_ The Baron responded bitterly as he turned his gaze back onto the Guardians, causing the female Vandal to turn her head and look elsewhere.

" _I miss litter mate Olkar,"_ Axtris let out a sad rumble, causing the Baron to pause, " _I miss even older litter mate Vellak."_

" _Olkar was away on patrol,"_ Oraxsis grunted, causing Axtris' shoulders to droop, " _Vellak had his chance, but he did not take it."_

Axtris lifted her four eyes hopefully at the Baron, " _Do you think they will join us once we save Ixrsis?"_

That's when Oraxsis hesitated. Olkar, he knew would immediately join in on their cause, especially since Olkar was very vocal about it when the three of them were alone together. But Vellak, the oldest of his children, and the only survivor from the first litter of six, Oraxsis was unsure. He was just a newly appointed Vandal when Oraxsis' mate was killed by Guardians just days after giving birth to the litter that bore Axtris. This immediately sparked a rage inside the young Vandal towards the Guardians, and there were times when Vellak would be given a chance at ranking up to a Captain since more often times than not the Vandal would return with dead Ghosts as trophies. But for some strange reason, the Vandal would always refuse and seemed content at his rank that he currently held. Although, some time ago, he stopped bringing in Ghosts and took on a more apathetic approach to everything. But that does not say if his rage towards Guardians was sated.

" _Yes,"_ Oraxsis find himself saying, startling the larger Eliksni as he blinked. Now why would he raise his daughter's hope so needlessly? But when the Baron fixated back onto the female Vandal, the way her four eyes were beaming up at him, full of hope and joy, Oraxsis couldn't bring himself to redact his response. How often does he see Axtris, his only daughter of his three surviving offspring, gleaming with positive emotions?

" _Oraxsis? Axtris? You two ready to go?"_

The two Eliksni glanced up as the familiar form of the human Hunter standing in front of them, the latter giving the two a nervous smile.

" _When you are ready, Pure One."_ Oraxsis responded.

Xxxxx

" _Where did you find it!?"_ Ixrsis hissed, immediately causing the Vandal to motion with his lower hands to lower her voice.

" _I found it wondering one day,"_ Olkar whispered as he cupped the object in his hands once more, hiding its glow in the dim light " _Saved it when it was being attacked by the Dark Ones."_

" _And you kept it since, yes?"_ The female Captain asked, her four eyes going wide as the Vandal nodded, " _Then how is it- Are you its chosen?"_

" _What? No,"_ The Vandal let out a low rumble, " _Remember my patrols? I let it out to search once we were in the clear."_

" _Clever,"_ Ixrsis held out her hand, signaling to Olkaar to open his hands and expose the topic at hand: the familiar star shaped form of a Ghost.

Gliding out of the Vandal's palm, the Ghost paused as they stretched out their parts, shaking its core side to side as if to stretch, " _Ah, it feels to be out of that pack."_ It then turned its white optic towards Ixrsis's palm before gliding over and nestling onto it, " _You must be Ixrsis, the leader of the Rebellion that Olkar always seems to talk about it."_

A pleased rumble emitted from the female Captain, " _I am Ixrsis, yes. And you are a little Light of the Great Machine, yes?"_

Spinning its parts on the Eliksni's palm, the Ghost bobbed once, " _I was created as soon as it went…dormant."_ It paused, letting silence permeate the air before it shook side to side once more and lifted its parts up into a smile, " _We will talk more about that later, shall we get you out?"_

This caused the Ghost to earn a puzzled look, " _What?"_

" _Like I said, I wasn't just here to give you Ether,"_ Olkar's four eyes beamed at the Captain as the Ghost glided out of her palm and headed to the pad just next to her cell, letting out streams of light as it went to work, " _We are getting you out of here."_

" _How?"_ Ixrsis asked as her gaze fixated onto the working Ghost, " _You know as well as I do that getting out of the prison cell is the easiest part, yes?"_

Olkar then snorted, " _I'm a stealth Vandal. I can cloak both of us and we can easily head to the Hangar."_

Tilting her head in contemplation of the Vandal's plan, Ixrsis turned her head towards the other cells, causing her four eyes to narrow, " _Now without the others."_

This caused the male Vandal to pause, " _…That is a large group, you know that, Ixrsis."_

" _I know,"_ Ixrsis turned her four eyes towards the Vandal, " _But I am not abandoning those who risked their lives for not only me but for the rest of our kin."_ Tilting her head at the Vandal, Ixrsis then asked, " _You are not going to abandon them, no?"_

Going silent, Olkar heaved out a sigh as the Ghost let out a small 'ah hah' as Ixrsis' cell door slid open, letting the Captain out, " _Little Light, can you manage setting the rest of our kin free?"_

" _Of course I can."_ The Ghost glided towards the others cells before it paused, earning a puzzled stare from the two Eliksni, " _One more thing, do 'not' call me Little Light."_

Xxxxx

" _Axtris please, you're making it hard to pilot my ship."_

Letting out a low rumble as an apology, Axtris released her grasp on the Hunter's shoulders as she took several steps back, giving the Guardian personal space. Heaving out a sigh of relief, Angel focused his attention back onto piloting his ship, only to sense the Vandal hovering over his shoulders once more, letting out silent chitters of curiosity. Brushing his fingers through his hair, Angel let out a groan before he turned to the Vandal and said, " _Axtris, please."_

Dipping low to the ground, the female Vandal let out a low rumble, " _I apologize Pure One, but this ship. I am just curious."_

"You can be curious later," Pluto's voice ran over the coms, startling the human and Eliksni as the Exo continued, "Right now we have to focus on getting to that Ketch."

"Which I have to ask, you sure that cloak will work?" Ianos' voice echoed through the coms, "I don't want us to get shot out of the air and our Ghosts having to glide down to safety only to look for our bodies. Again."

"Well, we are petty high up," Aleeza spoke up, "do you think we'll survive a crash from this height?"

"If our wings stay intact," Carina responded nervously, "then we can glide to safety but if not…"

"Oh come on, have more confidence in Pluto," Akiva laughed, "I'm sure that the cloaking device that his friend gave him works."

"Like I have said before, it's untested," The Exo muttered through the coms, "although if it does work, I'll send them a message of thanks."

"And if it fails?"

"I'm going to go back and kick their ass."

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Angel suddenly went alert when Hope's voice rang, "Target in sight."

Out of instinct, the Hunter glanced up, only for him to feel like his heart skipped a beat within his chest. In front of them, was a massive ship shaped into a pointed arrow, the wings itself easily dwarfing the Guardians' jumpships. The engines elongated alongside the back of the ship, letting out a loud rumble as the group slowly approached the ketch. It's white and black paint gleaming under the sun, Angel couldn't help but gulp at the sight, his fingers curling tightly around his controls.

"Focus," Hope whispered, causing the Hunter to turn and give his Ghost a sheepish smile before turning his attention back to the controls and shifted them just slightly to fly closer to the other five ships flying nearby.

"Get ready," Pluto murmured before a low hum started to surround the human Hunter, "Cloaking device activating."

Taking in a deep breathe, Angel watched through the windows of his ship as the team around flickered before blending in with the clouds, the familiar shimmering the only sign of their presence.

"I can't see you," Carina's broke the silence through the coms, "can you see me?"

"The device works," Angel let out his breathe before he asked, "But for how long?"

Silence permeated through the coms, causing the human Hunter to shift nervously in his seat, hearing the female Vandal behind him let out a anxious rumble at the silence.

"Everyone get your boosts ready," Was Pluto's response as the distance between them and the Ketch waned, "on my mark…"

Hearing the Exo silently count down, Angel lifted one of his hands and curled it around the gear next to him, feeling sweat bead down the back of his neck as Axtris leaned over and used her four hands to grasp the back of his seat. It was then the Hunter heard the sound that he currently dreaded: the sound of clicking and crackling echoing around them before his eyes sighted his team's ships flickering back into view. Glancing up, Angel's tan features paled as the Ketch's weapons lit up, slowly turning the turrets towards the Guardian ships.

"Now!"

Startled at the Exo's signal, Angel immediately pulled on the gear. Instantly, Angel felt himself being pressed against his seat before he heard Axtris let out a shriek followed by a loud 'thud' behind him. His concern for the female Eliksni was quickly forgotten as he felt his ship rumble and shift as the shots fired from the Ketch flew past him, a sign for Angel to let out a shout as he shifted with his controls, barely dodging the enemy fire.

"I've been hit!" It was Ianos' voice, followed by Pluto's cursing before the Exo Hunter ordered, "Everybody close in, try to keep Ianos' ship stable!"

"But we can't turn into their hangar like this!" Aleeza's voice yelped as her jumpship enclosed around the Warlock's ship, placing her wing just under his to as the others followed suite, "Our Ghosts haven't been finished hacking their system yet."

Silence filled the coms as Angel glided his ship over, covering the back of Ianos' ship as he waited for an answer.

"Everyone, put up your shields," Pluto's voice broke the silence, "We're going to ram this thing."

"You're shitting me," Ianos growled through the coms, followed by a laugh that Angel recognized as the human Titan's, "This is going to be great!"

"I'll take point. Carina and Angel, behind me. Aleeza and Akiva, keep supporting Ianos in the rear."

Navigating his ship obediently behind the blind Exo's, Angel then blurted, "Isn't this dangerous?"

"It isn't dangerous if you have a chance for survival."

"That isn't helping Akiva."

"Contact in ten seconds," Hope's voice ran up, causing Angel to take a gulp as he attempted to keep his shaking hands steady.

"Five seconds." Hope's voice wavered as the hull of the Ketch grew closer.

"We better survive this!" Carina yelled as Hope counted, "Three seconds!"

"Our Ghosts will revive us…hopefully," Aleeza's voiced nervously.

"Brace for impact!"

Clenching his teeth, Angel watched as Pluto's ship rammed into the Ketch headfirst, the black ship instantly breaking through the white surface of the Fallen ship followed by loud clanging and scraping of metal. Before the Hunter could even wince at the noise, the human then felt his ship rumble, jerking Angel around in his seat before it came to a sudden halt. The action cause the Hunter to jerk forward and a loud 'crack' echoed throughout the cockpit of his ship. Then darkness.


	15. It's You

**_Tormented_**

 ** _It's You_**

 _I apologize for the late update today. I decided to make the decision to play Iron Banner for the first time this week as I saw that my light level barely met the minimum to participate (I dared not go in without at least 310 light). And as such, I lost focus on the story momentarily until the deadline came up and I was like 'crap, have to put up the next chapter'. So yeah, if some parts seemed rushed, that's why fjdklsafs. Sorry._

* * *

" _Pure One! Pure One wake up!"_

Feeling strong hands shake him around the shoulders, Angel let out a groan as he opened his eyes, flickering his lids to shake out the haziness out of the edges of his vision. Almost instantly, the familiar masked Vandal hovered over him, her four glowing blue eyes showing obvious concern, "Axtris?"

" _Thank the Prime Servitor, you're alive,"_ The female Vandal rumbled as she took several steps back, giving the human Hunter enough space to sit up and rub his head, "What happened?"

"You died." Hope's familiar star shaped form hovered nearby as Angel turned and gave his Ghost a wide eyed look, "When we crashed into the Ketch, your body sprang forward and you hit your head against the…yeah."

Blinking once, Angel turned his gaze towards the window of his ship, only to feel his face heat up when he saw a large crack on the window shield.

"The glass is hard enough to hold against rocket launchers and missiles from enemies but your head was hard enough to crack it," Hope teased, causing her Guardian's face to flush even further, "Oh, I can't wait for this mission to be over so I can go back and tell Amanda about your iron head."

"Shut up," Angel mumbled as he pushed himself onto his feet, signaling to the female Vandal to do the same, "The others, what about-"

He was interrupted when a loud tapping emitting from the front window, catching everyone's attention.

"You can transmat anytime now," The familiar black and brown clad Titan ducked to avoid a fired arc bullet from enemy fire, "We're getting smothered here."

"H-Hold on," Angel announced as he pressed a button around his collar, his helmet immediately materializing over his head before he felt himself being lifted up and light headed. The instant he felt his feet landed with a 'thump' on metallic floors, the human Hunter immediately held up his hand, letting his hand cannon materialize into his hand before aiming and firing at a charging Dreg, the shot causing its body to fly back and land just feet from the human Guardian.

"Hah, about time you joined in," Akiva grinned behind his helmet as he lifted up his auto rifle and fired, letting the bullets spray into an unfortunate group of Dreg.

"Where are the others?" Angel called out as he weaved out of the way of arc bolts shot from the Vandals.

"Tending to Oraxsis," Akiva responded as he ducked and sucker punched another Dreg, watching its matter break down and disappear in a flash of Void energy, "when we crashed, some of Pluto's ship collapsed on top of him. Pluto and Carina are trying to get him out while Ianos and Aleeza are covering them. They sent me over to you when you didn't transmat out."

Pausing to spray another Dreg in bullets with his rifle, Akiva then added, "What took you so long anyway?"

"Did you see the crack on the ship's front window?" Hope's voice chirped over the coms, signaling to the Hunter that she had materialized into his armor, "Well, Angel wasn't wearing his seatbelt-"

"Hope, is this really the time?" Angel muttered as he took out his knife and swung it into the exposed neck of an approaching Dreg, hearing it gurgle before he ripped his weapon out and quickly shot it in the head.

"Wait? Did your head do that?"

Feeling his face heat up once more, Angel opted to say nothing although this answered the Titan's question, the latter heaving out a laugh, causing the Hunter's face to even flush more red, "Hah, hah, had enough yet?"

Before the human Titan can respond to the younger Guardian's question, Angel let out a cry, feeling his shields shatter from a single stream of arc energy. Glancing up, Angel's heart froze when he saw a Vandal up on the balcony, its wire rifle charging up another shot. Before the Hunter could regain his composure, a flash of purple filled the human's vision before recognizing the familiar black and brown clad Titan reach over and clasp a comforting hand onto his shoulder.

"You alright?" The teasing tone that Akiva had carried earlier was quickly replaced with worry, causing Angel to let out a blink before he let out a single nod, just grateful that the Titan had timed his Ward of Dawn perfectly. However, before the Hunter could let out a proper thank you, a roar erupted behind them. The pair turned only for them to glance up as the familiar form of the female Vandal flew over their heads, her wrist blades drawn.

" _How dare you harm, Pure One!"_ She roared as slid in between enemy fire, slicing away at the smaller Dregs, letting their bodies fall before they even hit the ground. Then leaping onto the balcony, Axtris gracefully pulled herself up and dashed towards the three snipers, startling them all. It was, after all, not everyday that a fellow Eliksni donning the same colors attack their own so openly. Before the group of Vandals could recuperate from their surprise, Axtris leaped forward and stabbed her weapon into the exposed neck of one of the snipers. Removing her weapon as the Eliksni gurgled and fellow to its knees, Axtris focused on the next one, ducking down to avoid the charged bolt shot. Before the unfortunate Vandal could reload, the female Eliksni reach forward and thrusted her weapon up through the Eliksni's jaw, killing it instantly before focusing her attention onto the last sniper. Unlike the others, this one had tossed its weapon away and opted for its shock blades, leaping at the female Vandal and catching her completely off guard. Using her top arms to stop the blades from reaching their target, Axtris used her lower arms to restrain her opponent's, both Vandals letting out shrieking cries at the other in order to intimidate. Struggling against the weight of her opponent, Axtris failed to pay attention to the railing behind her, feeling her back press against and then suddenly feeling the sensation of freefall, her cape fluttering behind her momentarily before landing onto the metal floors with a heavy 'thud'. Feeling her breathe escape her, Axtris could only let out a small hiss as her opponent dug his blades into her shoulders, effectively pinning to her to the ground before watching him unsheathe his shock pistol and aim it right at her head.

" _Goodbye, traitor,"_ he said as he placed pressure onto the trigger.

A loud roar echoed throughout the room, causing the Vandal to shift his gaze only to feel a hand wrap around his neck and easily lift him off the female Eliksni. It was then his four eyes fixating onto another, the much larger Eliksni's eyes narrowing at the Vandal.

" _You dare harm my daughter!?"_ Oraxsis screeched before slamming the Vandal onto the metal floors repeatedly, waiting until he went limp in his grasp before turning and tossing the body at a group of Dreg, effectively knocking down the lower ranking Eliksni before letting out another roar of fury, causing all the Eliksni in the room to pause, chittering amongst themselves. Should they dare face a Baron?

Any doubts on taking the Baron down were soon confirmed when the larger Eliksni turned and snarled, " _Anyone else?"_

No sooner had he asked the question when the room cleared, some of the lower ranking Dreg even letting out squeals of fright before dashing out of the room.

"Well, that takes care of them," Akiva stated, watching Oraxsis lean down and tenderly started pulling the blades out of Axtris' shoulders, causing the female Vandal to let out a hiss in response.

"Is everyone alright?"

All eyes turned toward the group of four, Pluto taking the lead as they came to a pause, "And why is your Ward of Dawn up?"

"Snipers," Akiva deadpanned as the ward flickered and dissipated, earning a nod of understanding from the blind Exo.

"Just caught offguard is all," Angel responded before turning his attention towards the two Eliksni, watching Axtris keep waving her injury off until she let out a reluctant nod. Then to everyone's surprise in the room, the Baron reached over his shoulders and tore his cape off, tearing the cloth into stripes before using them to wrap around the female Vandal's wounds.

" _Your cape,"_ Angel started but was stopped as Oraxsis raised up a hand, signaling to the Hunter to stop, " _I know what you are going to say, Pure One. But it matters not."_ Finishing up by tying up the cloth around Axtris' shoulders, the Baron then turned his gaze towards the human Guardian, _"True, I wore this cape with pride, since it symbolizes the strength of my house. But now, it reminds me nothing but of betrayal and sorrow."_ Hearing his daughter chitter beneath him, Oraxsis then fixated his attention back onto the female Eliksni, holding out a hand which she took and helped herself stand, _"What better use is it for now than a piece of cloth?"_

Listening to the words of the Fallen Baron, Angel only nodded, signaling to the others to approach.

"Alright, from the scans that Nix sent me, there are several doorways here. We're going to split into our respective teams and pick a door." Pluto explained, waving for Oraxsis to join him, the Baron letting out a reluctant grumble, "From there, we'll search the Ketch until we find your friend."

"Wait, you do know that this ship is huge, right?" Carina asked, in which she only received a blank stare from the Exo Hunter, "Look, I'm all up for going around corners and smashing Fallen faces in but…" The female Exo hesitated, "What happens if we bump into the Kell?"

"What makes you think that a Kell is on here?" Aleeza asked, "Didn't Saint-14 kill their Kell? And their Archon was killed by a newborn Guardian just a couple of years ago right?"

"That was years ago though," Carina muttered, "Who knows? They might have picked out a new Kell by then. Maybe it's a coward that just like to hide, so the Vanguard was unable to acknowledge its existence?"

"Would make sense," Ianos pondered, glancing up when he sense the female Titan's gaze on him, "What?"

"Nothing," The Exo female responded quickly, earning a frown from the male Warlock, "Anyway, Ketches are the biggest ships that the Fallen has, right?" Earning a nod of confirmation from her group, Carina continued, "And you know leaders, they want the biggest and best thing they have to show off their status."

"Not to mention that they love to spend time in the Ketch, sending their lackeys to do the dirty work," Ianos rolled his eyes before turning his gaze onto Pluto, "So, like Carina is saying, more than likely the Kell is on this ship." He then paused, contemplating before asking, "Any plans if the Kell is onboard here and we happen to bump into it?"

Silence permeated between the group of Guardians as all eyes turned towards the Exo Hunter, the leader of the Fireteam saying nothing but tapping the edge of his scout rifle in thought.

"If the other team finds the Kell," The Exo Hunter started, immediately catching everyone's attention, "Take it down."

Xxxx

" _You sure you know where you're going, Olkar, yes?"_

" _I am certain,"_ The male Vandal then hesitated, " _most likely."_

It was then a rumble emitted from the female Captain, but it was more of amusement than annoyance, " _Oh really?"_

" _We are not lost if that is what you are trying to say,"_ Olkar muttered, earning a chuckle from Ixrsis.

" _I said no such thing."_

Mumbling under his breath, Olkar shifted his arms so that he could ensure the Vandal that he was carrying on his back was secure.

When the Ghost unlocked all the cells in the prison hold, it was not what Olkar had expected. Yes, he knew that many of the prisoners would be Ether starved, but majority of them were Vandals and not Dreg like he had expected. They were too weak to even stand, even with assistance, so both Olkar and Ixrsis decided to carry who they can. Being the smaller of the two, Olkar could only carry one while Ixrsis easily carried three, one on her back supported by her lower arms and one carried in each upper arm, cradling against her chest as she walked. The rest were carried by the Dregs, taking two to carry one. Although the lowest ranking of the Eliksni hierarchy, the Dregs were in better condition than the Vandals thanks to the fact that their body is used to having such small amount of Ether and able to survive down to the last drop. Olkar was just grateful they were strong enough to support the weakened Vandals amongst their ranks. In all, excluding Olkar and Ixrsis, the group that they had freed held six Vandals and eight Dregs, four of which were supporting two of the Vandals.

" _This way."_

Recognizing the mechanical voice of the Ghost, Olkar glanced up in time to see the small shard of light bob its core down a hallway, its parts soon lifting up into what the Eliksni thinks is a smug grin as they approached, the Vandal slowly realizing that it had known the way out the entirety they were traversing the halls and was waiting for its chance.

" _You can be an annoyance at times, Little Light."_ Olkar murmured.

Almost immediately, the smug look faded from the Ghost's optic, " _How many times do I have to say it, do 'not' call me Little Light."_

" _I can call whatever you want until we find you a proper name,"_ Olkar retorted as he shrugged past the Ghost, causing the shard of the Traveler to bristle its back parts in annoyance before it glided in front of the Vandal leading the way, " _and I dare not give you one, in case the time comes when you find your Guardian, they should have the honor of naming you."_

This earned the male Eliksni a snort, " _Who says that I have to wait until I find my Guardian to find a name?"_ Hovering just above the Vandal's shoulders, the Ghost continued, " _If you do think of a name, please do tell me. I am curious on the names you have chosen."_ It then turned its single optic at the female Captain, " _The same goes for you, Captain Ixrsis."_

" _No title, no,"_ Ixrsis quickly stated, causing the Ghost to blink, " _Just Ixrsis, Ixrsis is fine."_

Silent at first, the Ghost chuckled before it bobbed its body up and down, " _As you wish, Ixrsis."_

With that the Ghost slowed down so it hovered just above the Captain's shoulders, letting the male Vandal lead the way. However, not long after, the Ghost paused, its parts going stiff as its white optic went wide, " _Olkar, Olkar."_

Olkar heaved out a sigh, " _What is it?"_

" _Whatever you do, don't turn that-"_

Before the Ghost could finish, Olkar found the end of a shock rifle pointed at his face, causing the Vandal to come to a sudden halt, his four eyes following the weapon and trace it up to the wielder's face, locking on the four eyes glaring at him.

" _And where do you think you are going?"_ The Vandal growled, causing Olkar to curse silently under his breath. Hearing Ixrsis rumble behind him, the male Eliksni quickly assessed the situation. With their arms full, by the time Ixrsis and Olkar drop the weakened Rebels, the Vandal in front of them would already have fired, killing the pair before they could even release their grip on their comrades. Four of the Dregs already had their hands full, the male Eliksni easily hearing them chitter nervously behind them as they huddled closer, supporting the weight of their fallen comrades. That would then leave four of the Dregs capable of fighting back, but with no weapons their chances of a successful attack was improbable. At least, that is what Olkar thought, up until he heard one of the Dregs let out a loud screech before the edges of his vision barely caught four black blurs rush past him followed by a startled roar and the gun whipped away from his face. Startled himself, Olkar took several tentative steps back as he watched the four Dregs ride on the Vandal, the latter letting out curses in their tongue as he struggled to pry the lower ranking Eliksni off with his free hands. It was then one of the Dregs crawled over their shoulder and clasp their hands around his eyes, giving two of the Dregs the chance to reach down, each one grabbing one of the Vandal's legs, and pulled with all their might, just enough to send the Vandal sprawling backwards and landing onto the unfortunate Dreg on his back. However, before he could recover, the fourth Vandal quickly reached over and grabbed the shock blade around his belt and waited until their comrades were out of the way before swinging the blade down, point first, into the Vandal's helmet, the body immediately going limp as it slide through the skull and onto the metallic floors. Momentarily silent, all Olkar could do was gawk even when the four Dregs tentatively approached him and the female Captain, the latter letting out a rumble of approval.

" _You have done well, yes,"_ Ixrsis' eyes lit up as the four Dregs chittered excitedly, their four eyes beaming at the Captain, " _You shall be rewarded well once we escape this Ketch."_

Watching the Dregs then return to their position in the back, Olkar finally shook the shock from his body and glared at the shard of light, " _Why did you not say anything?"_

" _I tried!"_ The Ghost retorted, its parts scrunching together into a pout, _"it is not easy giving out a warning to someone who is pretty much running."_

" _You do realize that we're on a Ketch full of my people that will kill us if they catch us trying to escape?"_

"… _Good point."_

Shaking his head out of exasperation, Olkar turned his head towards Ixrsis, the latter giving a nod to signal that she was ready before the male Vandal took the lead once more.

Xxxxx

Peeking around the edge of the corner, Angel immediately ducked behind cover when a bolt of arc energy bounced off the wall next to his face, the Hunter taking in a deep breath before turning his gaze towards his team, "Do you think it was a good idea that Oraxsis scared witness' away only for them to report to the higher ups?"

"They were bound to discover that we were on board," Ianos muttered, hefting his pulse rifle in his hands as he added, "Especially after ramming our ships into their Ketch."

"Good point," Angel then sighed before crouching, concentrating as he felt his light seep around him, focusing on his body as it shimmered in and out of sight, "and also, why am I taking lead again?"

The Awoken Warlock gave the Human Hunter a blank stare, "We're only doing this rescue because this is your friend, Angel. If she wasn't an ally of yours, we wouldn't even be here in the first place."

"Oh, right." Taking in a gulp, Angel waited until the arc bolts came to a pause, recognizing the low rumble of the Captain ordering his subordinates to check around the corner. He then completely let himself shimmer out of sight, unsheathing his dagger from his belt before he bolted around the corner and down the hall. Light on his feet, Angel barely made a sound up until he swung his blade into the neck of the closest Eliksni, an unfortunate Dreg, who immediately dropped to the ground lifeless. Before their allies could even react, Angel immediately dashed forward and stabbed his blade in the neck of the next Eliksni, before prying his weapon out and quickly heading to the next. Soon, the Captain was the only one in the hallway, his four eyes wide in shock before Angel watched him roar in fury. Still in stealth, the Hunter's heart stopped when he saw the Captain load up his Shrapnel Launcher, the intent clear in his eyes as he slowly started pulling the trigger.

The hallway, being narrow, gave Angel no room to dodge the shots if the Captain fired and there was no time to unholster his hand cannon from his holster around his thigh. Not wanting to die so soon on his mission to rescue his friend, Angel quickly assessed the next best thing: he tossed his knife at the large Eliksni. He knew it was a risky idea, especially since Bladedancers heavily depend on their 'blade', the knife the only object that the Hunters can project their arc energy into for their signature attack. Of course, there are Veteran Guardians who can surge their arc light into actual blades, having enough experience to even out the energy on the long piece of metal to give it the same function as its smaller counterpart. But Angel was far from experienced, and as such, throwing the knife at the Captain seemed like a good idea, especially when it lodged itself into the Captain's shoulder, causing him to let out a roar of pain and fury and removing his hand from the trigger to find the source of the object that wounded him. The human Hunter then took the opportunity to uncloak himself, unsheathing his hand cannon from his thigh before sliding down onto his knees and aimed the gun just below the Captian's chin and fired. The familiar loud 'bang' of the gun echoed through the hallway followed by the kick, making Angel's hand shift upwards from the shot. Almost instantly, the Captain fell onto his knees and then fell onto his side his four eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Staring at the lifeless gaze, Angel hesitated before reaching out and brushed his fingers over the Eliksni's eyes, effectively pulling the lids over the eyes and covering them. Soon after, he whispered a silent prayer under his breath. Just because Fallen and Guardians do not get along does not mean Angel should not respect their dead.

"Taking point does not mean rushing into enemies headfirst and not informing your team on what your plan is."

Turning his head around, Angel let out a sheepish smile as the two Guardians and Eliksni walked out from cover, Ianos' posture evident that he was not pleased with the Hunter rushing headlong into danger.

"What? He did well," Carina retorted, turning and giving the human Hunter a huge grin, "Although I am curious as to why you uncloaked yourself at the end when you threw your knife. Wouldn't it have been easier just to stay in stealth and toss it in case the Captain would have seen you and retaliated?"

Pausing, Angel tapped the top of his hand cannon before he responded sheepishly, "I panicked."

This earned the Hunter a laugh from the Exo Titan, the former feeling his face flush as Carina leaned over and gave him a good slap on the back, "Well it worked out in the end, right?"

"Yes, but don't expect it to work every time," Ianos scolded, earning a scowl from the Exo Titan, "Losing focus like that can lead you to your death." He paused when he saw Carina lift up a hand, "and I mean permanent death." This caused Carina to lower her hand and give another scowl from her behind her helmet at the Awoken Warlock, "Now come on, we have an Eliksni to save." He then brushed past Carina and Angel, "And I'll be taking point this time."

Watching the Awoken head down the hallway, Carina muttered, "The fuck is wrong with him? He seemed very adamant that you take point but not he insists he takes point now?"

The Hunter shrugged in response, "Maybe he's just worried that I'll get hurt?"

The Exo Titan scoffed at that, "Right. Why would he be worried that you'll get hurt when you handled the situation well? You went in here and flawlessly killed all the Fallen that were attacking you. I say a job well done."

"You three coming?"

Glancing up at the veteran Guardian at the end of the hallway who was standing at the entrance of the next room, Carina muttered under her breath before she turned and nodded her head to Angel to follow before she walked over to the Awoken Guardian. Blinking, Angel instead leaned over and with a grunt, turned the body of the Captain so he could access his knife, pulling it out with some exertion. The thought of bringing more than one never occurred to him until now. Wiping the blade of his weapon onto his cloak, Angel heard a low rumble next to him and glancing up, his gaze locked onto the female Vandal's whose four eyes showed obvious concern.

" _Do not worry Axtris, I am fine,"_ Angel reached out and placed a comforting hand onto the female Eliksni's shoulder, careful to avoid her wound, " _Just keep pointing us in the right direction and we will be out of here before you know it."_

Although the female Eliksni hesitated, the Vandal let out a slow nod before she went ahead of the Hunter, the latter quickly cleaning up the last of the blood off his knife before sheathing it around his belt and following his group.

Xxxxx

"Well," Akiva started as four more Eliksni fell to Pluto's scout rifle, the four bodies falling to the floor just a few seconds apart from each other, "this is fun."

This caused his twin to chuckle as she held her pulse rifle in her grasp, watching the Exo Hunter flawlessly drop one enemy after another, "If you call just watching on the sidelines 'fun'."

The human Titan shrugged, "Well, when you have a professional sniper like Pluto going around and shooting everything in the head without saying a word, I guess you can say that."

"Shut it you two, I'm trying to concentrate."

This earned the blind Hunter a laugh from the twins, in which he rolled his optics behind his makeshift blindfold before tapping the side of his helmet. Almost immediately, white waves washed over a black background, white shapes giving leeway against the dark surface. The instant Pluto's vision filled with the familiar shapes of the Fallen, he lifts up his Scout Rifle and fires, killing any unfortunate Eliksni whose head were not in cover.

"Leave some action for us," Akiva teased as he watched the Exo holster his gun onto his back before opting to his sniper, "Can't let you get all the credit."

"I'll let you have credit when we actually have room to fit all three of us shoulder to shoulder."

Although the human Titan laughed at the Exo's bluntness, his words couldn't be any closer to the truth. The way Akiva's bulking form hardly fit through the narrow hallways, followed by Oraxsis who would have to shift sideways at times to fit, letting out grunts of annoyances along the way, gave the Exo Hunter's words credit.

"I have to ask though, why are the halls so narrow?" Aleeza asked the Baron, her Ghost immediately translating her words and letting it through the auditory functions of her helmet, "especially since I highly doubt even a Captain can waltz through these halls casually."

" _It is because it was not built for them, it was built for the Dregs and Vandals,"_ The Baron responded earning a puzzled look from the female Warlock, " _Many Eliksni who are higher ranking than them are usually placed in rooms with plenty to walk in."_ Oraxsis let out a grunt as he shifted his body once more, narrowly avoiding getting stuck, " _Attacks on Ketches are not uncommon as you think, especially if the Kell is not well liked. So in order to avoid higher ranking Eliksni from taking the front, we created these narrow hallways to ensure that only those low on the hierarchy are the ones who take the front."_

"And with no room to dodge, you can easily just fire into the halls and they're nothing more than fodder," Aleeza finished, earning a nod from the Baron he fixated his gaze onto Pluto's guarded form, the Exo firing more shots as more Eliksni came into his scope's vision, " _Although I can see that this tactic will not work with your metal friend."_

This earned the Baron a sheepish smile from the female Warlock, "Yes, Pluto is quite the professional at killing." She then motioned for the Baron to come closer, in which with some exertion, was able to just barely lean over and hear Aleeza whisper, "Also, be careful when you call Exo 'metal' or anything like that. Some of them are quite sensitive. Majority of them will see that as an insult."

His four eyes blinking in bewilderment, Oraxsis nodded his head, although the reason why eluded but nonetheless he will agree. He does not want to insult a potential ally, even by mistake.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I need backup!"

All eyes turned towards the Exo Hunter, the latter attempting to lean in the opposing direction of the arc bolts fired, only to grunt on occasion as some impacted onto his shields, making them shimmer as the blind Exo struggled to fire back, "They all just started swarming in!" He fell backwards as his shields completely shattered, landing onto his back with his sniper on his chest, "Fuck!"

With his body having worked as a shield, this left the rest of the team out in the open in enemy fire, specifically Akiva who happened to be standing behind Pluto. With a bigger and less than agile target in their sights, the opposing Eliksni then started pouring their shots at the human Titan, who let out a yelp as his shields shattered at the continuous fire. Immediately, he tried to spread out his hands, flinching when the back his the side of the walls but it was good enough to spread out the familiar violet dome around the team, protecting them from enemy fire.

"I hate these halls," Akiva groaned as he rubbed his hands, silently grumbling under his breath before he felt hands pressing down onto his shoulders, forcing him down onto his knees.

"I got this!" Hearing his sister's voice shout before he saw the familiar black boots of his sister step onto his shoulders and with one great push, leaped into the air, nearly toppling over her twin. Narrowly hitting her head on the ceiling of the hall, Aleeza brought her hand back, the familiar void energy gathering in her palm before she shot it forward, the Nova Bomb sailing through the air and landed into the mass of the firing Eliksni. Screams echoed through the room as the void energy ate away at the Fallen as it exploded, breaking down their body into basic components and sucking in any survivors that were somehow fortunate enough to dodge the main impact. Seeing Aleeza land just in front of the blind Exo, Akiva watched as Pluto immediately pushed himself onto his feet and then pressing one hand down onto the female Warlock's shoulder, signaling to her to kneel down and Pluto lifting up his sniper rifle, the point barely peeking out of the violet dome. Then without a moment's hesitation, the Exo Hunter started firing into the foray, sniping off any survivors that tried to get away from the Nova Bomb's swirling void energy. Pushing himself back onto his feet, Akiva couldn't help but flinch at the sight of Fallen heads imploding, the white walls being colored with the vermillion blood of their enemies while Ether sprayed into the air, fading into white mists before the bodies even made contact with the floor.

"Clear," Pluto soon stated, lowering his sniper rifle after he picked off the last survivor, letting out a grunt as he tapped the side of his helmet once more, "no signs of life. At least, none that Nix could scan anyway."

Watching his Ward of Dawn dissipate and fade around him, Akiva then motioned at the room, "Can we get out of this hall so we can finally get leg room?" The Titan then reached up with one hand and tapped the chest of the Baron with the back of his hand, earning a puzzled look from the large Eliksni, "Especially for this guy, he could hardly move."

Reloading his sniper rifle, Pluto let out a nod before Aleeza pushed herself onto her feet, her pulse rifle in her hands once more before they ventured into the room. Akiva couldn't help but stretch, his hands high in the air before he lowered them and started rolling his shoulders, "Traveler, it feels great to be out of that tiny death trap." He then turned his attention towards Oraxsis, the Baron barely squeezing himself out into the room, "How are you doing big guy?"

" _Just grateful that I am alive and unscathed,"_ Oraxsis grunted as he too stretched, " _Although I would appreciate my people crafting ships with larger spaces."_

Akiva then laughed, earning a puzzled look from the Eliksni Baron, "That I can agree with, big guy."

" _Why do you keep calling me 'big guy'?"_ Oraxsis asked, his four eyes starting at the Titan in bewilderment.

"It's a nickname," Akiva responded, then the Titan spotted the puzzled look on the Eliksni's features, "You know, a nickname?" He paused when the expression on Oraxsis' face did not even shift in the slightest, "Like, a title?" When Akiva saw the Baron's eyes lit up with recognition, the Titan then added, "It's like a title but more…friendly? Like a title between friends."

" _Friends?"_ The confounded look flashed back onto the Baron's face, earning a nod from the human Titan, "Yeah, friends."

His four eyes blinking, Oraxsis' eyes then narrowed suspiciously, earning a puzzled look from the human Guardian, "What?"

" _You consider me a friend? A…comrade?"_ Oraxsis asked, confounding the Titan even further.

"Yeah, I mean…" The Titan hesitated, "Don't…you see it that way?"

This send the large Eliksni reeling, causing Oraxsis to take a couple of steps back, " _I…"_

Almost instantly, Akiva's shoulders drooped, disappointment clear in their posture before the Titan's gaze hit the floor, "Well, that's alright. I mean…" He lifted his gaze back up at the Baron, "I mean at least we're not trying to kill each other, right?"

Instead of responding, Oraxsis stayed silent, his four eyes scanning the armored Titan's helmet in hopes of reading the human's expression. However, the darkened visor made it hard to see any of Akiva's pale features, and all the Eliksni can so is bow his head in apology, unsure of what to say in the situation he had gotten himself into.

"Hey you two," The two turned their eyes towards Pluto, the blind Exo standing next to Aleeza who held out her Ghost towards the panel next to the door, the Hunter nodding his head towards the door as it opened, "Ready for the next tiny death trap?"

The two paused, their eyes fixating onto the Exo who stared and shrugged when he didn't get a response, "Just stick behind us, alright?" With that, he followed Aleeza into the hall, leaving the Eliksni and the Guardian alone in the room. Turning their gazes back towards each other, Akiva let out a sheepish smile at the Baron before he gave Oraxsis a thumbs up, puzzling the large Eliksni before the human turned and followed after his team. Watching the human slip into the hallway, Oraxsis hesitated, pondering on his earlier words. When Oraxsis came and accepted the help of the Guardians, he just saw them as allies and nothing else. Just exchange words and lend each other's aid if needed and that is all. So hearing the Titan call him 'friend' wrought bewilderment into the large Eliksni's mind. How should he react to that? Should he push aside the Guardian's offer of friendship? Or should he…?

Shaking his head, Oraxsis let out a low rumble, his four eyes fixating back onto the opened door before he too entered it, letting out a grunt as he squeezed into the tight space.

Xxxxx

Vellak recognized the sound of gunfire and the sensation of light emitting through the walls of the Ketch. He should, he had had fought plenty of Guardians in his lifetime. Letting a growl emit from his throat, the Vandal waved his hands to several Dregs that he had been assigned with, the latter perking up at the chance of battle, the chance to prove themselves worthy. Letting out a scoff at the excited chitters amongst the lower ranking Eliksni, Vellak reflexively reached up with his lower arms and traced his fingers over his trophies around his belt: shells of dead Ghosts. Prizes that he had claimed from each Guardian that he had killed, ensuring that the light of the small drones were completely extinguished before latching it around his waist. His collection had grown numerous over the years, the shells not only going around his waist but also around his chest as well, the different colored shells contrasting against the white armor that he wore. Vellak had planned to decorate his armor completely with the dead drones, but that was before he was saved by a Guardian during the storm. After the aid of the Guardian, especially since the Guardian still attempted to help despite his first hostility towards him, Vellak had come to realize that not all Guardians are as bloodthirsty as he saw them at first, and had come to a pause on his 'Guardian' hunts in response. However, if the Guardian attack him or any of his people, he will retaliate.

Barking orders at the Dregs, Vellak nodded his head towards the door in front of him as he held his shock blades in his upper hands, watching one of the Dregs tentatively step forward and type in the code to open said door. However, no sooner had the door opened when bullets sprayed through the entrance, immediately blasting holes into the unfortunate Dreg before it collapsed. Hearing the other Dregs let out shrieks of surprise, Vellak let out a roar before signaling to the Dregs back, to take cover behind the walls and consoles of the room that they had been ordered to scout out. Watching the Dregs take cover, Vellak himself then slid behind a console his shock blade ready in his hands. Seconds later, a Dreg's screech could be heard before followed by a single gun-shot, ending the Dreg's cries. This caused Vellak to let out a low rumble. Either the Dreg found a horrible cover or its curiosity got the best of it. Cowering behind his cover, Vellak waited until he heard footsteps enter.

"Looks clear," He heard a voice rang out, mechanical, female. An Exo.

Hearing her words, Vellak couldn't help but smirk. Clear? She will be dead wrong in seconds.

"Did you double check?" A second voice rang out. Calm and flanged tinted with a familiar accent. Awoken. "Sometimes they like to hide behind objects and keep still, fool you into thinking that you're safe. We should probably get our scanners up."

This is it!

Vellak then leaped over his cover, letting out a roar to signal to the Dregs to do the same, all of them letting out screeching battle cries as they too lunged out of cover. Ignoring the curses the Guardians' emitted, Vellak lunged at the nearest Guardian, a Titan, who let out a startled yelp as he stabbed his blades into her shoulder blades, giving him leverage as he reached down with his lower arms and removed his shock pistols from his holsters and aimed them directly at her face.

"Carina!"

Glancing to his side, Vellak barely had the time to register the third Guardian who rammed into him, sending the Vandal sprawling onto the ground. Quickly, Vellak rolled onto his back and flipped himself up, letting out a hiss as the Guardians aimed their weapons at him.

" _Aim low! Do not let one escape!"_ Vellak barked, the Dregs registering his order as they screeched and fired their shock pistols.

Watching the Titan rip out his shock blades, Vellak dashed into cover when one of the Guardians, a Warlock aimed and took fire, the bullets bouncing behind the Vandal, hearing the Warlock curse when Vellak disappeared from view.

"You two, take care of the Dregs, I'm going to kill the Vandal."

"What? Why? It's just a Vandal."

"Didn't you see the Ghosts on its body? It has killed more Guardians than I could count."

Then without another word, Vellak heard gunfire erupt throughout the room and the sound of footsteps approaching his location fast. Unsheathing two shock daggers from his belt, Vellak waited until he heard the sound of footsteps come to a pause and then rolled forward, hearing the bullets bounce off behind him. Hearing the Guardian curse, Vellak let out a screech as he leaped back up onto his feet and lunged himself at the Warlock, swinging his blades downward in an attempt to gain leverage on the Guardian. However, to his disappointment, the Guardian reacted quickly and held up his weapon, using it as a shield as the daggers pierced through metal and narrowly missing their intended targets. Letting out a growl, Vellak then tightened his grip and tossed his arms to the left, ripping the Guardian's weapon out of their hands and effectively tossing it to the other side of the room. However, this also included Vellak's daggers. This didn't hinder the Vandal however as he lunged at the Warlock once more, swinging a fist at the Guardian's helmet. He must have caught the latter off guard as his punch made contact, effectively causing the Warlock to stumble back a few steps, their hands reaching up to his face as if startled by the contact. Seeing the Guardian stunned, Vellak then swung forward with his other fist but felt a hand wrap around his wrist, the Vandal letting out a screech before it was cut off from a punch to the side, effectively causing Vellak to let out a wheeze in response.

"Just because I'm a Warlock doesn't mean I can't fight hand to hand," He heard the Warlock snarl before the next thing he knew, Vellak found himself flying through the room and landing onto one of the consoles, effectively crushing it beneath him. Letting out a groan as he rubbed his head, Vellak glanced up only to leap to the side just in time to avoid a shot from a sidearm bullet. Pushing himself back onto his feet, Vellak let out a snarl before removing a shock pistol from his holster and fired at the Warlock who ducked behind cover, the arc bolts imploding on contact. Letting out a growl of frustration, Vellak reloaded his pistol before dashing around and slid behind the console, just in time to see the Warlock turn and reel back from surprise.

"This is the end for you," Vellak snarled, surprising the Warlock even further as the Vandal held up his pistol and started to pull the trigger.

"No!"

Almost immediately, Vellak felt arms wrap around his neck and pulled, effectively causing the Vandal to reel back and away from his target. Landing on top of one of the consoles, Vellak let out a snarl before he reached up with his upper hands and grabbed the top of the attacker's helmet, hearing a surprised shout as he grabbed and tossed him across the room. Watching the Guardian land onto one of the nearby consoles, Vellak gave him no time to recover before the Vandal leaped forward and landed on top of the Guardian's chest, his shock pistol aimed under the Guardian's chin.

"Any last words?" Vellak snarled as the stunned Guardian glanced up at him, barely moving underneath the Vandal's weight.

"Wait, do I know you?"

The Guardian's word startled the Vandal, but Vellak said nothing as the Guardian added, "You, you're that Vandal I saved. The blizzard."

Freezing at the Guardian's words, Vellak lowered his weapon before he reached over and onto the Guardian's helmet, using his lower hands to unlatch the clasps before prying the piece of armor off. Almost immediately, Vellak dropped the helmet, his four eyes going wide in shock as he slowly slid off of the Guardian, letting him push himself back onto his feet, although clumsily. He may have met the Guardian once, but he remembers those green eyes against tan features as they beamed at him through black strands as he spoke, uncaring if Vellak understood or not as they sat around a fire to keep warm, the Hunter's cloak draped over his shoulders to keep the Eliksni comfortable as the blizzard raged outside.

"You," Vellak started, "You were that Guardian. You were-"

A battle cry shook the Vandal out of his shock enough to glance over and the last thing he saw was a charging Titan right at him.

Xxxx

Angel let out a shout of surprise when Carina body slammed the Vandal into one of the consoles, effectively knocking him out. The Hunter then spied the Titan bringing one of her fists up to finish it off, "Wait!"

This caused Carina to pause and turned her gaze at the human Hunter, giving him a puzzled look behind her helmet, "What? Why?"

"I know him!" Angel responded, earning a puzzled look from the female Exo, "I saved his life back when I first landed on Earth!"

"…How many Fallen did you save?"

Angel paused, "…A lot."

"We just can't stop and let an Eliksni live even if it's one that you saved Angel," The pair turned as Ianos approached them, the Warlock scowling at the remnants of his pulse rifle that he had retrieved, "Especially this one not only attacked us, but look at the Ghosts secured onto his body." Watching Ianos hold up his broken weapon and let it materialize into his inventory, Angel turned his focus onto the Vandal as Carina slid off of it, only to take in a sharp breath. All over his chest and waist were dead Ghosts, their differently colored shells contrasting against the Vandal's white armor.

"Traveler," Angel heard Carina whisper under her breathe as Ianos approached the unconscious Vandal, "We already cleared the room, and this one is the last one left." He then held up sidearm up to the Vandal's head, "We can't let this one live."

" _Stop!"_

All eyes turned towards the female Vandal as she walked into the room, her four eyes scanning over the unconscious form of the Vandal, " _Vellak!"_

"Vellak?" Angel repeated as he watched Axtris rush over to the unconscious Vandal's side, watching her tentatively lift his head to ensure his survival, " _Is that his name?"_

" _Yes,"_ Axtris nodded, letting out a sigh of relief after when she listened to Vellak's even breathing, " _He is my littermate."_

"Littermate?" Ianos repeated, turning his gaze towards Angel who responded, "Uhm, litter mate means Eliksni who were born from the same parent so er, that Vandal is her brother."

There was a pause between the three Guardians as Axtris blinked bewildered between the three, glancing between each Guardian as the silence permeated throughout the room.

"What!?" It was Carina who broke the silence, her gawking expression hidden behind her helmet as she added, "Why didn't you say anything!?"

" _My Fath- Baron Oraxsis and I did not deem it important at the time,"_ Axtris dipped low, her four eyes hesitant, " _In honesty, we did not know that any of my littermates would be onboard the Ketch. The last we heard, they were on land helping out on patrol."_

"Shit, and we almost killed him," Carina muttered as Ianos lowered his weapon away from the Vandal's head, the latter heaving out a sigh before shaking his head, "Fuck."

Holstering his sidearm back around his helmet, Ianos then held out a palm and almost instantly Ace materialized into view. Giving his Ghost a nod, Ianos held out the AI towards the unconscious Vandal and almost immediately, Ace started scanning.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked as he watched in interest, only for his green eyes to go wide when one of the many Ghost's around Vellak's chest disappeared.

"These Ghosts once belonged to Guardians," Ianos muttered, "The least we can do is bring these Ghosts back and figure out who they were." He then sighed, "More names to be carved onto the pillars."

Hearing the hint of melancholy in the Awoken's voice, Angel walked over and picked up his fallen helmet, pulling it back over his head before he walked over and held out Hope. This earned a puzzled look from the Awoken, "What are you doing?"

"Helping," The Hunter responded as Hope scanned one of the many Ghosts and let it disperse into matter, letting Angel virtually store the Ghost into his Vault, "Goes by faster when we have two to carry the Ghosts back, don't you think?"

"Make that three," Carina chirped as she let out Spears, the small Ghost immediately setting to work on the first Ghost he saw on the Vandal.

"So, we wait?" Angel asked, earning a nod from the Awoken Warlock. The Hunter then turned his attention towards Axtris, the female Vandal giving the Guardians a wary look, " _Don't worry Axtris, we'll let your brother live."_

Axtris fixated her gaze onto the Hunter, " _But-"_

" _We'll give him another chance,"_ Angel interrupted, " _but, if we find him again and he has taken more…trophies, then I cannot say his survival at that time. But for now, he is alright."_ The Hunter then paused as Axtris let out a low grumble of gratitude, " _First, if you do not mind, let us prepare to bring our brothers and sisters back home."_

Nodding at the human Hunter, Axtris turned and watched alongside the three Guardians as their Ghosts set to work, their guns ready in case any unfortunate Eliksni stumbled upon the group.

* * *

 _Just random facts. Vellak can speak the human tongue perfectly while as Olkar and Axtris practically known none. Oraxsis and Ixrsis know enough to communicate but their vocabulary isn't very expansive yet._

 _Anyways, I apologize once again for the late update...and with that, off to Iron Banner I go._


	16. The Kell

_**Tormented**_

 _ **The Kell**_

 _I apologize for the late update guys (it's like 11:30 p.m where I'm like) but I didn't really have the time to write last week and the time I did have was met with writer's block. It's just with my luck that I finally managed to snap out of it yesterday but of course, I was busy. Anyways, shout out to Lazypersons and AAA for reviewing, really appreciate it!  
_

 _ AAA \- My Iron Banner run was actually alright, got two armor pieces that were lighter than what I had on so guess it's better than nothing._

* * *

"I'm really hating all these tiny corridors!" Akiva shouted as he struggled to keep his Ward of Dawn up, straining against the enemy fire piercing against the shield, "And hurry up! I don't know how much longer I can keep it up!"

"Just a bit longer!" Aleeza shouted back as she ducked down to let Pluto fire into the foray of Eliksni, reloading her pulse rifle as she added, "and I thought you said that your Ward of Dawn can protect us from Fallen fire!"

"Only for so long!" The human Titan groaned, "How many are there!?"

"Enough," Pluto responded nonchalantly as he removed his weapon from above Aleeza's head and started reloading, signaling to the female Warlock to start firing her own weapon, "Every single Fallen on this ship is now alert of our presence. If any nearby hear gunfire, they will come running."

"Cover me!" Aleeza shouted as she holstered her pulse rifle, her right hand already gathering the void energy in her palm.

Seeing this, Pluto immediately lifted his scout rifle and started firing at any Eliksni who aimed their weapon at the female Warlock as she stepped outside the safety of the ward, drawing her hand back as she enclosed on her targets. When she was certain that she was at the perfect distance, Aleeza then thrusted her hand forward, tossing the circular ball of void energy into the mass of Eliksni, the latter of which released cries and squeals as the Nova Bomb impacted into the group. Watching the void light eat away at anything in its wake, the team waited until the Nova Bomb dissipated to waltz into the room, Akiva letting out a groan as he dropped his Ward of Dawn, "My Mentor was right when he said that it's possible to keep up the Ward as long as you want but it's tough as fuck."

"You didn't seem to have a hard time," Aleeza chirped, earning a blank stare from her twin.

"Easy for you say," Akiva retorted as he held out his hands, "Imagine sending out your light and the burst leaves enough light for it to remain for several moments. Now, if you want that light to stay, you have to continuously surge your own light through it. Then add into the equation that you have to keep it physical with projectiles smacking into it which means you have to pour enough light into it to make it thick enough to resist damage 'and' keep it up at the same time." The human Titan then dropped his arms to his side, "Harder than forming an energy in your hand and tossing it when it gets big enough."

"Hey, you try forming something in your hands and tossing it at the right point," Aleeza argued, pausing and turning around to face her twin, "It may look easy, but you actually have to compact enough light enough to actually function. Not enough light and it's a dud, all it will do is break apart in the air before it reaches your intended target. Too much and it will literately blow up in your face."

"Come on you two, we can talk about which 'Super' is the best once we're done with this mission." Pluto waved at the two Guardians to gain their attention, "From what Oraxsis was pointing, this should be the way to the prison cells."

" _I said 'maybe',"_ Oraxsis squeezed himself out of the hall, grunting as he glanced back at the narrow corridor before turning his attention back onto the Exo Hunter, " _The schematics of a Ketch is quite difficult to memorize, even for the one who sketched out said blueprints."_

"So, are you telling us that you have been leading us around blind?" Akiva asked.

Oraxsis responded with a shake of the head, then paused, his four eyes narrowing in thought, " _Partially."_

"Partially?"

Letting out a huff, the Baron gave the three Guardians a blank look, " _Like I have stated before, 'Guardian', schematics of a Ketch are difficult to memorize. Even the engineers of the ship have to carry blueprints of the Ketch to get around."_ Oraxsis let out a small rumble, " _Axtris and I are most likely the best choice just amongst the Rebels."_

"Great, so we're going around partially blind," Aleeza sighed as Pluto casually walked past her and held up his Ghost to the console for the next room, "So we could going around and shooting things and may not even get the right room."

"Hey, better than going in fully blind right?" Akiva stated as he approached the door, turning his back to it as Nix continued to work on the console, "Better to have a clue than – Aaagh!"

All eyes were immediately on the human Titan when the doors slid open, only for everyone to pause when a large clawed hand quickly reached out and enclosed around the Guardian's head, easily dragging him into the newly opened room.

"Akiva!" Aleeza shouted as she dashed after her twin, ignoring the cries of warning from the blind Exo.

No sooner had the female Warlock took a step into the room when she paused, her glowing red eyes going wide as a giant Eliksni, one even that would tower over Oraxsis, glared at her from the middle of the room, its grasp still around Akiva's head, the latter of which was cursing and hitting its hand as if to make it release him.

"Bastard! Coward! You think you can kill your enemies when their back is turned!? You have no honor! You have no strength! Fucking weakling-"

Akiva's words were cut short as the giant Eliksni quickly closed its grasp, a loud crunch echoing throughout the room as the helmet splintered in its palm. Screaming her brother's name, Aleeza watched as Akiva's body went limp, the Eliksni letting out a low rumble as if to laugh before tossing the body across the room, causing it to bounce and skid and until it made contact with the wall of the room.

At that instance, grief and rage overtook Aleeza's senses and with a scream, she charged the giant Eliksni, switching her pulse rifle for a shotgun in her hands. Seeing the Eliksni swing one of his hands towards her, Aleeza then slid down onto her knees, feeling the air between her and its hand brush against the top of her helmet before she leaped forward and pressed her shotgun against the Eliksni's chest and pulled the trigger. A loud bang reverberated through the room followed by the Eliksni's surprised shout before Aleeza pressed her feet against its chest and pushed herself off, landing a safe distance away from her opponent.

"Bastard!" she screamed as the Eliksni stumbled a bit over its feet, its shields shimmering back to life around it. With that, she took a step forward to charge again but a hand suddenly appeared in her vision, causing the female Warlock to turn her gaze and glower at Pluto, the blind Exo returning the scowl with one of his own.

"Get out of the way," Aleeza snarled, earning a sigh of disapproval from the Hunter, "Akiva-"

"Akiva will be resurrected," Pluto nodded his head towards the corner of the room, causing Aleeza to shift her gaze over and see the familiar white and yellow form of Lex hovering above the human Titan's body, "Unlike the Moon or the underground labyrinth in the Cosmodrome, there is no darkness zone here." Aleeza then fixated her gaze back onto the giant Eliksni as the Exo added, "He'll be back, just need to give him time to resurrect."

"…Fine, but that won't stop me from blowing its guts out," The female Warlock stated as she cocked her shotgun, earning a snort from the blind Exo, "Although, I have to admit, it's pretty large for a normal Fallen, even if it's a Baron."

" _That is because he is the Kell."_

The pair then felt Oraxisis force his way past the two Guardians, snarling as he added, " _And of all the ones they have to elect to be our new Kell, it has to be this coward."_

"You know this Fallen?" Aleeza asked, aiming her shotgun at the Kell as he attempted to take a step towards the group, snarling in response.

" _He is the one who sent my mate to her death,"_ Oraxsis rumbled, his four eyes narrowing at the Kell who locked eyes onto the Baron, only to let out a low rumble, as if to chuckle, " _All so he could give himself time to escape."_

" _Oraxsis,"_ The Kell rumbled, " _do not tell me you are still bitter over your mate's death? Do you not realize that it was the Guardians who took her away from you?"_

" _You were the one who ordered her and the rest of your troops to stay behind while you ran away like a coward!"_ Oraxsis growled, his four luminescent eyes flaring up angrily, " _True, the Guardians were the ones who killed her but you were the cause of it!"_

The Kell let out a scoff, his stature rising against the others as he mocked, " _Oh, so it is my fault then? If you are so certain Oraxsis, then come, attack me. Let's see who is correct on their statement."_

Snarling, Oraxsis took a step forward to attack, however before he could do so, the Kell let out a roar of surprise as he stumbled back and everyone blinked in shock when the familiar black and brown clad Titan was now on his back, his arms locked around the Kell's neck.

"Oh we'll attack alright! But who says that it's going to be a one on one fight!?" Akiva roared as he held out his hand and summoned his shotgun before pressing the barrel against the Kell's head. Seeing this, the Kell leaped back, letting his feet slide out underneath him and in honestly, surprising the human Titan as the giant Eliksni landed on top of the Guardian, the blow stunning Akiva long enough for the Kell to get back on his feet and raise a fist to finish the human Guardian off.

"Oh no you don't! Not again!"

Letting out a roar, Aleeza charged towards the Kell once more, ignoring Pluto's warning as she dashed into the fight, letting out shotgun fire just enough to make the giant Eliksni's attention focus on the female Warlock.

Watching the two Guardians face off against the Kell, Pluto heaved out a sigh before summoning his sniper rifle and turning his blind eyes towards the Baron, "Might as well."

Blinking in surprise at the Exo, Oraxsis then let out an amused smirk before he let out a roar before he charged into the fray.

Xxxxx

" _Is it just me or is it getting a little loud?"_ Olkar asked as he peered over the corner of another hall, waving one of his lower hands forward to signal that it was clear.

In response to the male Vandal's question, Ixrsis let out a low rumble, " _Can you not feel lit? The light seeping through the walls of the Ketch? The sound of gunfire through weapons that are not our own? No?"_

Blinking in bewilderment, it was only when the group was halfway down the hall when it realization hit the male Eliksni, " _Guardians?"_

" _Guardians,"_ Ixrsis nodded her head, hearing the Dregs behind her chitter warily, " _How and why they are here is unknown, but I prefer we leave before we figure that out, yes?"_

Giving the female Eliksni a nod, Olkar walked up to the door and started pressing the buttons on the panel next to it, hearing the familiar hissing sound as the door slid open. However, when he looked up, the male Vandal froze when he glanced into the helmed face of a Guardian, their cloak billowing over their shoulders as they took a step back in surprise.

"Uh…"

The screeching of the Dregs behind the group of Eliksni echoed into Olkar's ears as the Dregs flawlessly jumped across the walls, the four of them easily tackling the Guardian to the metal floor. Listening to the Guardian curse in a tongue he does not understand, Olkar could only watch in surprise before one of the Dregs went flying back into his chest, sending the male Vandal sprawling into the female Captain behind him. Feeling the weakened Vandal slide off from his back, Olkar turned and quickly checked on his unconscious comrade, letting out a sound of relief when he saw their chest move up and down, the sound of air processing through their mask apparent. Turning his attention back to the door, Olkar blinked when he saw another Guardian, the second adorned in heavy armor, screaming in their tongue as they started swinging their fists at the Dregs, the remaining three easily dodging the slower and heavier foe. The Guardian that the Dregs had knocked down was struggling to get back onto their feet, stuttering in their tongue before the screeches of the Dregs drowned out their protests.

" _Stop!"_

Almost immediately, everyone in the vicinity froze, all eyes turning towards the cloaked Guardian as they dusted themselves off and heaved out a sigh, " _Stop…Please."_

Olkar tilted his head curiously at this. From the tone of the Guardian's voice, they were male and sounded like he was done, ready to accomplish their task at hand and head back to their base of operations. The male Vandal then paused, processing the words of the Guardian.

 _Wait, did he just…,_ Olkar's four eyes went wide, his jaw going slack behind his Ether mask as he asked, " _Wait, how do you know our tongue?"_

The male Guardian turned his attention towards Olkar, his expression unreadable as he responded, " _I…well…"_

" _Pure One?"_ It was Ixrsis who spoke, familiarity clear in her tone as the Guardian shifted their gaze from Olkar to the female Captain, " _Ixrsis?"_

It was then the male Vandal glanced back and forth between the Guardian and the Eliksni, bewilderment clear in his eyes as picked up the weakened Vandal in his arms before standing, " _You know this Guardian, Ixrsis?"_

A rumble escaped the female Eliksni, " _Of course, this is the Guardian that saved my life."_

There was a pause from the male Vandal, " _…What?"_

Ixrsis' four eyes narrowed at Olkar in annoyance, " _The Guardian? The Guardian that saved my life? The Hunter who helped me hide from the Dark Ones and treated my wound? How else do you think I got my scar?"_ The female Captain then pointed at the scar across her eyes, " _Do you not remember, no?"_

Almost immediately, Olkar bowed his head, " _I…did not believe your stories."_

This earned the male Vandal a grunt of disapproval from the female Captain, but nonetheless she just shook her head and focused her attention back onto the Pure One. He was currently conversed with his companion, a female that Ixrsis could tell now that she was not struggling against the Dregs, all four of whom were quietly chittering near the entrance, curiosity in their eyes. The female Guardian looked quite shocked from what Ixrsis can tell, from the way the copper clad Titan was gesturing towards the group of Eliksni before throwing her arms up in exasperation when Pure One stated back, something about not leaving anyone behind from what the female Captain could grab. No sooner had Ixrsis caught the gist of their conversation when a third Guardian came into the view of the doorway, only to pause when their sights came upon the group of Eliksni. Staring at the group, the third Guardian then turned to the Pure One, gesturing with his hands towards the female Eliksni and her group before Pure One shrugged sheepishly, earning a sigh from the third Guardian. He then turned his attention towards the Eliksni.

" _Can you understand me?"_

Startled, the group of Eliksni took a step back, the Dregs actually cowering away from the third Guardian before Ixrsis responded, " _Yes, just…how-"_

Ixrsis paused when the Guardian pointed at his helmet, _"Oh, I understand, yes."_

" _Ixrsis,"_ The female Captain turned her attention towards Pure One, " _could you explain how you have…everyone."_ The Hunter gestures his hand towards the weakened Vandals, Dregs, and Olkar, " _Just…Just curious."_

Letting out a low rumble in amusement, Ixrsis nodded her head towards the room that the Guardians were standing, " _I will gladly explain, if you let us out of this cramped hall and into that spacious room, yes?"_

Almost immediately, no sooner had Ixrsis finished her statement when the familiar form of a Vandal brushed past the three Guardians, startling the latter as the Eliksni's four eyes fell upon Olkar. That's when Ixrsis heard the male Vandal let out a choke, " _A-Axtris?"_

" _Olkar!"_ The female Vandal let out a squeal of delight as she bull rushed her littermate, body slamming him enough to make him stumble, but gentle enough not to harm him and the Vandal he was carrying in his arms.

Xxxxx

"Well, this took an interesting twist," Carina stated as she crossed her arms, watching Angel help Ixrsis, Axtris, and another Vandal, Olkar, filter in Ether into the packs around the Dregs and Vandals waists, the Hunter giving the Dregs a comforting pat on the shoulder after he filled their canisters with the appropriate amount of Ether. Fortunately for the Eliksni, the room that they had taken occupation in had crates full of Ether alongside supplies (in other words, weapons), signaling to the Guardians that a momentary rest and the aid to help rejuvenate the weakened Eliksni so they were not as much of a burden. Of course, the effects of the life giving essence won't affect the Eliksni immediately, a few moments of the Ether flowing through the tubes would have to be suffice enough before they have to move on.

"So what are we going to do now that we have a group of, what, sixteen Fallen to evacuate now?" Carina continued, "Which I have to add, six are even too weak to even move on their own."

"We're still taking them with us," Ianos deadpanned, earning a gawking look from the female Exo, "Look, like I have stated before, Angel was the one who dragged us into the mission. If he wants to bring back all the Eliksni he can save, then he can bring back all the Eliksni he wants."

"But how?" Carina asked, gesturing her hands towards the group of Eliksni as she added, "We don't exactly have a ship to carry all of them, let alone us."

"We'll figure something out." The male Warlock stated, his response making the female Exo grumble. However, almost immediately, her posture stood straight up and the Titan clapped her hands together several times. Immediately suspicious, Ianos can only watch as Carina beamed at him through her helmet, and the giggle she soon emitted made Ianos' stomach drop, "You have a plan." When Carina nodded her head furiously, Ianos sighed, "What is it?"

"Well, we're already on a ship," Carina beamed and almost instantly, Ianos butted in, "Don't tell me that your plan is to take over the Ketch?"

"Let's take over this Ketch!"

Ianos just shook his head and placed a hand onto his helmet but he didn't do anything to refute Carina's plan. She had made good points during their earlier conversation. No ship with a group of Eliksni to evacuate instead of the one that they had intended to save, Ianos can think of no other way but accept the female Exo's plan. Except for one problem.

"How do you expect us to do that?"

The female Exo paused, crossing her arms as she hummed to herself, "I'm… not quite sure about that."

The male Warlock shook his head at her words, "Let me guess. Storm the Ketch until you find the cockpit and then kill all the pilots until you have control of the ship?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea."

"…No…"

"Well, what else do you expect us to do, oh 'wise' one?" Carina glared at Ianos, "We can't exactly go up to a Fallen and ask, 'oh hey, do you know where the room to pilot this ship is at?'"

Giving the Titan a blank look, Ianos nodded his head towards the group of Eliksni, causing Carina to follow his gaze and come to a pause, "Oh, right."

Rolling his eyes at the female Guardian, Ianos watched her rub the back of her neck sheepishly before he took it as a sign to walk up to the group of Eliksni, hearing the familiar click of his auditory functions echo throughout his helm to signify that the translation was in process, " _Do any of you know the way to the cockpit?"_

Feeling the eyes of those conscious on him now, Ianos stated, " _Our original plan was to rescue you leader here, Ixrsis, but we had not planned accordingly if there were a group of you. The best course of action is to take over the Ketch and fly it back towards the Tower, where we'll make contact to ensure its safe landing."_

Momentarily silent, the Eliksni muttered amongst themselves before Axtris spoke up, " _I'll lead the way."_

This earned the female Vandal a raised brow from the male Warlock, " _You sure? Do any of the others know the way? They have been on the Ketch longer than you have, Axtris."_

" _I am the best chance you have,"_ Axtris rumbled, her four eyes narrowing at the male Warlock, " _Do not doubt me even for a second, 'Guardian'."_

Raising his hands in apology, Ianos then quickly lowered them as he stated, " _Alright, so our plan right now is to storm the Ketch and-"_

"Hey! Anyone there!?"

Startled from the new voice echoing throughout his helmet, Ianos held up a hand to signal a pause before turning around and responding, "Akiva? This is Ianos. What's-"

The sound of shots being fired in the back followed by cursing from the human Titan caused the Warlock to pause momentarily, "…You guys found the Kell didn't you?"

"Quick as always," Akiva let out a short laugh before the sound of a shotgun echoed in the background followed by the Titan cursing, "We were hoping that they haven't elected a new one yet but, you know our luck?"

"Do you need backup?" Ianos asked, "We have found the target of our mission. We'll just leave one of us behind and the other two will trace your frequency to give you aid."

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds like a plan," Akiva let out a grunt as another shotgun round rang in the background, "Just make it here quickly, the Kell, he was tough to take on enough by himself, but he decided to call his friends to help out. Fucking coward."

"We're on our way," Ianos stated before the coms clicked into silence before he turned his attention to Carina and Angel, the latter turning his attention from a Dreg to tune in on the call, "Change of plans, Angel, you're with me. Carina, you go ahead and find the cockpit and take over this ship."

" _What about us?"_ Axtris asked, earning the attention of the male Warlock, "All of you follow Carina and those who are able bodied help her take over the ship. Those who are able to walk at least, help those who can't. We need all the help we can get."

" _I am coming with you,"_ Olkar stated, startling everyone in the room, " _I want to see for myself the work of this 'Pure One'."_ The male Vandal fixated his gaze upon the human Hunter who gulped nervously, " _I want to see if he truly is trustworthy."_

Momentarily silent, Ianos heaved out a sigh before shaking his head, " _Fine but do not be dead weight, you hear me?"_

Olkar let out a growl in response, " _Only if you do not do the same to me, 'Guardians'."_

Letting out a snicker at the Vandal's words, Ianos turned his attention to Carina before he gave her a confirming nod before turning to Angel and waving for the Hunter to follow before dashing out of the room, Olkar not too far behind the pair of Guardians.

Watching her team leave her, Carina couldn't help but let out a grin as she played out the chaos that would be reaching the cockpit. Turning her attention to the female Vandal, Carina then stated, "So, when you're ready, lead the way?"

Xxxxx

Akiva let out a shout of surprise when he felt himself go flying, the Kell having once again smacked the human away when he had attempted to get in close with his shotgun. Skidding across the metal floors, Akiva quickly pushed himself back onto his feet only to swing his fist at a nearby Dreg, feeling the void light leave his fingertips and into the unfortunate Eliksni. Not waiting to see the Dreg fade and break down into simple matter, Akiva instead opted to turn and fire his shotgun into the nearest Vandal, causing the latter to let out a squeal of shock and pain before the human Guardian kicked it away, "Ianos and one of the others is coming to back us up! The third member of their team is going to find the cockpit of the Ketch and take control of it!"

"Are they crazy!?" Aleeza screeched as she leaped up and fired her own shotgun at the face of a Vandal before she landed safely and fired her weapon at the face of another Eliksni, "Why would they want to take control of a Fallen Ship!?"

"Crazy! But efficient plan!" Pluto shouted back as he back up into a corner, firing his sniper rifle into the fray before unsheathing his knife and stabbing it into the neck of a Vandal who had wandered in too close, "Take control of the Ketch and we have a way back home! And if we make it back to the Tower we can easily gain the help we need!"

"And if we fail!?"

"Well! Kudos to us then!"

"That's not very comforting, Pluto!"

Letting out a smirk, Pluto suddenly dashed forward before sheathing his sniper rifle onto his back, his target clear in his black and white sight before he leaped forward and shouted, "Tethering!"

Almost instantly, Pluto felt himself being lifted into the air as he held one hand forward and wrapped his fingers around the familiar shape of his bow, concentrating his void light into filling its shape before reaching forward and grabbing the 'string'. Pulling the string back, Pluto's black and white vision quickly sighted the towering Eliksni, aiming his shot towards it, "Let's see what you can do when you can't move, bastard."

It was then he released the forming arrow, sensing the void light speed through the room and slamming into the chest of its target. Immediately, a screech of surprise and shock echoed through the room followed by an explosion. The sound of the void light expanding and stretching signaling the Void Anchor was doing its work.

"Fire while it lasts!" Pluto shouted as he summoned his scout rifle and started firing at the vulnerable Eliksni who were unfortunate enough to be close to their leader on contact, the sound of Ether escaping into the air reaching the Exo's audio receptors.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Akiva shouted back as he held out his hand and immediately, the familiar shape of a rocket launcher materialized over his shoulders, "Fire in the hole!"

Glancing up from her area, Aleeza quickly jumped and glided out of the way as soon as Akiva pulled the trigger, the missile tracking a group of Eliksni before it made contact, sending body parts and smoke into the air as it impacted. Feeling the ship shake beneath her as she landed, Aleeza stood up and fired her weapon into the chest of a nearby Vandal, "Akiva! Be careful with that thing! You might as well take the ship out of the sky like that!"

"Sorry!" The human Titan apologized as he let his weapon materialize back into his Vault before summoning his auto rifle in his hand, the Void Anchor immediately dissipating soon after. "Habit!"

It was then a roar echoed throughout the room, " _Habit!? Do not get us all killed Guardian!"_

Akiva let out a snort at the Baron's words as he watched the large Eliksni easily knock aside the smaller troops, firing the shock pistol that he had taken from one of the many Fallen around him, "Hey Oraxsis! Want to do a wager!?"

Letting out a grunt, Oraxsis responded, " _What that would be?"_

"Let's see who can take out more Fallen! Loser will have to do anything that the winner requests!" Akiva shouted only to pause and stutter, "O-Of course if only you're comfortable with it. J-Just realize that you were also-"

" _I accept your wager, Guardian!"_ Oraxsis responded, causing the human Titan to perk back up, " _Just do not expect victory to be easy!"_

"Hah! We'll see about that! Big guy!" Akiva grinned as he let out a roar and charged through the smaller Eliksni, gaining screeches and squeals of surprise before he thrusted his shoulder back, letting him have clear view of his target: The Kell.

Ducking down from his swings, Akiva leaped forward, brought his head back and swung it forward, feeling his helmet collide into the Kell's. Although the human Titan heard the Kell curse in his native tongue, all Akiva could see were stars as he landed on his feet, stumbling about as he muttered nonsense under his breath.

"What was that?" Aleeza asked as she took the opportunity to fire at the stunned Kell.

"Saint-14 must have a fucking hard head to kill a Kell with a head-butt."

Releasing a chuckle, Aleeza heard Pluto's voice come to life over the coms, "You have to remember, Saint-14 is an Exo."

"So, metallic heads?" Aleeza chirped. When the Warlock earned silence as a response, she stated, "What? It's true, metal heads are sturdier than bone heads."

"And lesser chance of a concussion too," Akiva groaned as he stumbled his way back a safe distance away from the Kell, the latter having regained his footing and his shields, enough to let out a roar of annoyance at the Guardians. Before he could take a step forward, another roar echoed through the room and the Kell turned his attention towards the source before he found something slam into his chest, causing him to stumble back.

" _I challenge you for the title of Kell!"_ Oraxsis snarled, growling menacingly as the Kell regained his footing, " _The winner is the one who can live through all this chaos!"_

The Kell let out a low rumble as if to laugh, " _Are you a fool, Oraxsis? You cannot defeat me, not when I have an army behind me."_

"Who says that having an army means that you automatically win!?"

Turning towards the source of the intrusion, the Kell instead felt his head snap back, shattering his shields and causing him to stumble back as if he took a punch to the face.

"Angel! Ianos!" Aleeza's eyes beamed before her gaze fell upon the Vandal following behind the two Guardians, "…Who's that?"

"Olkar, Aleeza. Aleeza, Olkar, We'll do proper introductions later," Angel quickly stated before he lifted his sniper rifle and fired, the Kell quickly ducking down to dodge the sniper's bullet only for to be punched in the face by Oraxsis, "Help me keep the shields down so that Oraxsis can beat back the Kell!"

"Yeah, after we kill all these smaller guys first!" Pluto shouted as he fired his scout rifle, the familiar sound of Ether evaporating into the air as he made his mark, "They just keep coming!"

"Then two of us focus on helping Oraxsis while the rest of us kill the little guys!" Ianos responded by reaching up and summoning his fusion rifle, pulling on the trigger to let it charge before releasing it on an unfortunate Vandal nearby, the void energy immediately breaking the enemy down into simple matter, "Angel and I will help Oraxsis! The rest of you guys just focus on the troops!"

Almost immediately, a roar rushed past the two Guardians, causing the pair to turn their attention towards Olkar, the latter of which had ran into the fray with shock daggers drawn.

"…Alright, make that three of us helping Oraxsis and the others will keep back the little guys," Ianos muttered before he ran after the Vandal, leaping and gliding over enemy heads as he made his way towards the Eliksni.

Turning and giving the other three of their Fireteam a sheepish smile behind his helmet, Angel then ran after the Warlock, leaping over the heads of the Fallen to get to the Awoken.

Xxxxx

Olkar easily swiped any enemy that got in his way, his four eyes fixating onto the Baron towering above the rest of the Fallen in the vicinity, the male Vandal watching his sire dodging and weaving the Kell's strikes before retaliating with his own. It was then Olkar sighted the Kell towering over the Baron and almost immediately, rage set in within the male Vandal. He was not there when the coward gave the order, but he had heard it from his brother who had witnessed the spectacle personally. The Kell, then Baron, had ordered his mother and the rest of the group of Eliksni to stand their ground while he ran off and fled in his own Skiff, leaving the troops to die by the hands of the Guardians. When she realized that her higher up had fled the scene, Olkar's mother requested back up from a nearby patrol, a patrol that his brother, Vellak, happened to be a part of. However, as soon as the backup tracked her location, they had arrived there too late, the Guardians who they were in clash with easily slaughtering the troops that were ordered to stand their ground. Vellak has since then held a grudge against the Guardians and Olkar had vowed revenge on the Eliksni that was the cause of their mother's death. And here he was, the coward now a Kell, using the chaos around him to keep the Guardians at bay while fighting his sire one on one, a laugh escaping the larger Eliksni had he took Oraxsis' blows as if they were nothing, the large amount of Ether he received giving him the strength and stature needed to keep himself from harm. Olkar will soon change that.

With a loud battle cry, Olkar leaped into the air and stabbed his shock blades into the shoulders of the Kell, his blades sliding in between the cracks of the larger Elikisni's armor and releasing arc energy as it buried itself into the Kell's flesh. Hearing the Kell let out a shocked and pained shriek, Olkar used his lower arms to hold onto his shock blades as leverage before using his upper arms to pull his shock rifle from his back and pointed it at the back of the Kell's head.

" _This is for Trikxas, coward,"_ Olkar growled as he pulled the trigger, the arc energy shot out of the barrel and into the helmed head of the Kell, causing the latter to stumble forward from the blow. Before Olkar could pull the trigger once more, he felt hands grab his shoulders and pull him off of the Kell's back, feeling himself fly across the room. Moments later, he felt himself coming into contact with someone, hearing them let out a grunt as the pair toppled over.

" _Olkar?"_ Pausing in his moments to push himself back onto his feet, Olkar turned his four eyes to the Baron, locking onto the familiar luminescent eyes he recalls seeing since his birth, "… _Father…"_

" _That's it!"_ Father and son glanced up from the floor as they watched the Kell pull the blades from his shoulders, twirling them in his upper arms as he snarled, " _I am done toying with you! You shall die now!"_

Racing towards the two Eliksni, the Kell raised the blades high and swung downward, the intent clear in his eyes as the blades swung towards them. Shocked, Olkar attempted to untangle himself from his father's limbs, panic setting into his mind as he managed to get his arms free. However, before he could push himself back onto his feet, Olkar felt hands grab his shoulders and he felt himself go flying once more. Skidding across the ground, Olkar felt himself knocking over the feet of the Fallen in the room, hearing them letting out shrieks of surprise as they fell. Feeling himself come to a slow stop, Olkar finally pushed himself onto his feet, only to pause when his eyes fell upon the sight before him.

Seeing the Kell running towards them, Oraxsis had grabbed Olkar and tossed him out of harm's way, giving himself no time to dodge the Kell's incoming attack. The Kell, having not anticipated the Baron's actions, had swung his blades with no intention to aim, and as such one had missed its mark, hitting Oraxsis in the shoulder. However, the second, the Kell had some luck. The second shock blade had easily slid through the Baron's battle worn armor and through his chest, the arc energy crackling down the blade and into the wound. Reaching up to his chest with his upper arms, Oraxsis lifted his gaze up at the Kell, the latter of which let out a smirk before pulling out the shock blades, causing the Baron to let out a gasp as he felt the blades leave his flesh, feeling his life blood spill from his wounds.

" _One down,"_ The Kell mocked as he fixated his gaze onto Olkar.

Giving the Kell no notice, Olkar momentarily stood in shock as he watched his father writhe in his own vermillion blood before the male Vandal shouted, " _Father!"_

* * *

 _In case it wasn't very clear on what their classes were:  
_

 _Ianos - Voidwalker_

 _Angel - Blade Dancer_

 _Carina - Striker_

 _Pluto - Nightstalker_

 _Akiva - Defender_

 _Aleeza - Voidwalker_

 _...Lots of void light in this team lol. Anyway, I do make it possible to master more than one light but the sub-class you see up here is the ones that the character's mainly use. I just suck at remembering that Destiny is more than just gunfire and always forget to incorporate Guardian abilities into the story. Anyway, enjoy!_


	17. Loss and Fury

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Loss and Fury**_

 _Bear with me I couldn't think up of a better title..._

 _Anyway, I apologize for the lack of activity, life had gotten to me the past few days and I hardly had 'any' time to write (hell, I didn't even have time to play an hour of Destiny like I usually do). Anyway, Rise of Iron baby! Can't wait! Pre-ordering for both consoles! Hah! Also want to get my hands on that Gjallarhorn. Started playing in year 2 so missed out on the hype on it. Heard is it quite overpowered. But wouldn't be surprised if Bungie nerfed it big time because of that.  
_

 _Anyways, shout out to Flamingmence_ _for the review! Really appreciate it! Your words have made my day! ^_^_

* * *

Although a Titan, Carina is actually small for her class, her short stature immediately catching everyone's attention when she claims her class as the heavy juggernauts. Even Ianos, who was of average height for a Guardian, was taller than her by almost a head in which the female Exo have to look up at him to make eye contact. That bothered the Exo greatly, because it seemed to her that both figuratively and metaphorically that the Warlock was looking down on her but that was not the case at the moment. Although small, that did not hinder Carina's abilities as a Titan, proven when she easily surged arc energy through her fists and continuously punched any enemy Eliksni that came her way, the arc light instantaneously burst the unfortunate Fallen into light.

"Come at me!" She shouted, her grin hidden behind her helmet as her opponents hesitated, eyeing the arc light she has surging through her hands, "Oh come on! You have these tiny hallways to help you out! No need to be a coward!" The female Exo didn't really care if Spears translated her words or not for right now, with all the kills she was getting, she was having the time of her life!

Hearing her taunt, the Fallen troops chittered nervously, causing Carina's shoulders to droop in disappointment, "Well, if you're going to be like that…" It was then the Exo held up a hand, clasping down on the light she solidified in her grasp before tossing it and booking it back around the corner of the hall, "Grenade!"

She then slid onto her knees and placed her arms around her head as the familiar sound of an explosion rang through the air followed by surprised shouts and death cries of her enemies. Waiting momentarily, Carina cautiously unwrapped her arms from around herself and peered around the corner, smiling at the carnage of limbs and smoke in her sight.

"Close is clear!" She chirped as she turned and waved for the group of Eliksni to follow, however Carina paused when she saw the blank look on the Eliksni's faces, "What?"

Rumbling at the Exo's question, Ixrsis responded, " _We trust you,_ Caariiinaaa, _we really do."_ The female Captain then hesitated, " _But we cannot help but notice that you enjoy killing a bit too much, yes."_

Carina blinked at Ixrsis, the Exo's silence causing Axtris to pipe in, " _It's just we fear that if we do anything wrong, you'll-"_

"Oh! Was that your concern?" The Titan beamed at the group of Eliksni, the latter startled from her outburst, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you guys or anything!" The Exo then paused as she processed their words further, "Although from what you just saw…" Carina then let out a sheepish laugh, "Now I can see why you guys are worried." She then nervously wrung her hands together, "Shall we just say it's…habit?" When the female Exo only gained silence as an answer, she threw her arms up into the air, "Look, I am 'not' going to hurt you guys alright?" She then motioned her hands towards the hall, "So lead the way again...Please?"

The female Eliksni glanced at each other, hesitant to completely trust the Exo Guardian. After silence permeated between the group and the Titan, Axtris fixated her gaze back onto Carina before she gave the female Guardian a nod and took point once more, signaling to the Guardian to follow after the female Vandal while Ixrsis and the others took the back.

" _Are you certain that we can trust this Guardian, Lady Ixrsis?"_

It was one of the Vandals that the female Captain is carrying in her arms, now conscious but still too weak to walk on their own feet. The other two Vandals had taken to sleeping with Ixrsis' permission, the one on her back rumbling peacefully on top of her while the second one in one of her arms even snuggled closer to the female Captain's chest as they slept. The third one was the only one awake and their question caught the female Eliksni's attention. Glancing back at the Dregs behind her who had taken to helping the other three Vandals walk, mainly letting them use the smaller Eliksni as crutches, Ixrsis fixated her gaze back onto the Vandal before she nodded.

" _She is Pure One's comrade,"_ She rumbled, " _And Pure One trusts her. And since he trusts her, I trust her as well, yes."_

The Vandal gave the Captain a doubtful look, " _Did you not sense the utter joy emitting from the Metal One when she threw that grenade, Lady Ixrsis? She enjoys killing. What if her bloodlust is not sated? What if she turns on us and-"_

" _She will 'not' do such a thing,"_ Ixrsis glowered at the Vandal, the latter sinking into the Captain's grasp as if to make themselves appear smaller, " _And do not call her 'Metal One', anything that has to do with her people's body structure, she will be offended, yes."_

Glancing up curiously at the female Captain, the Vandal then asked, " _Then what do you propose we call her then, Lady Ixrsis?"_

Fixating her gaze back onto the Exo Guardian, Ixrsis watched as Carina kicked down the door to the cockpit flawlessly, Axtris having stepped aside to let the Guardian through. Watching arc energy crackle to life around the female Guardian before the Exo dashed into the room and swung her fists down onto the ground, sending out charges of energy throughout the floor to empty the room of enemies, Ixrsis responded, " _Illuminated One."_

The Vandal blinked, " _Illuminated…One?"_ The smaller Eliksni glanced back at the female Exo then let out a nod of understanding when they saw the crackle of arc energy spark from the Guardian's copper armor, " _Fitting."_

Grinning at the mutual agreement, Ixrsis then walked into room, the controls and seats immediately coming into view.

"Alright! This is the cockpit!" Carina chirped as she placed her hands on her hips, "…so how do we fly this thing?"

" _Just leave it to us,"_ Axtris responded as she walked to the very front of the room, taking a seat in the pilot's chair. Grasping the top of the wheel with her upper arms, Axtris then turned to Ixrsis, " _Are there two others who are capable of taking the other two consoles?"_

" _I am able,"_ The Vandal in Ixrsis' arm blurted, startling the Captain as they added, " _I just need some assistance on taking a seat."_

Taking only moments to process the Vandal's words, Ixrsis calmly walked over to the console left of Axtris before gently letting the Vandal slide out of her grasp, letting them shift in their seat before letting out a satisfying grunt to signify that they are ready. Watching the Vandal start typing away at on the keys and keeping their four eyes on the screen, Ixrsis glanced over to the console to the right of Axtris, only to see two of the Dregs helping one of the Vandals into the seat as well, the latter giving the Dregs a thumbs up after they took their seat, gaining excited chitters from the lower ranking Eliksni in response.

" _Coordinates for the ship?"_ Ixrsis heard Axtris ask, the Captain turning her gaze back onto the female Vandal, the latter of which had her gaze on the Exo Guardian.

"Oh, right!" Carina then walked and leaned over and typed on the keys before pausing, "...wait, am I typing these correctly?"

A low rumble emitted from Axtris, a chuckle, " _Tell me the coordinates and I will type them in."_

Watching the Exo Titan rub the back of her neck sheepishly, Ixrsis watched as Axtris keyed in the coordinates before the female Vandal exclaimed, " _Coordinates successful inputted. Destination: The Tower."_

Ixrsis then felt the Ketch shift and turn under her feet, causing the female Eliksni to let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she and the others will be safe…at least, the female Captain hopes so.

Xxxxx

Everything seemed to slow down for Angel when he saw the Kell stab Oraxsis through the chest, the blade seamlessly sliding through the armor as if it was nothing. Shocked, Angel remained silent up until the Kell removed his blade from the Baron's chest and it was then, the Hunter let out a scream. A scream of rage, grief, or even both, the human Guardian wasn't sure but it was enough for Angel to suddenly charge in, his hand cannon clenched in his hand as he sped past Ianos.

"Angel! Wait!"

He heard the Warlock call after him before he heard Ianos curse and the familiar sound of the charge of a fusion rifle soon followed after, signaling to Angel that several Fallen had gotten in the Warlock's way. Ignoring the warnings of his comrades, the Hunter fired his weapon at any Fallen who wandered into his proximity, ignoring the shimmering of his shields as enemy fire pelted them. It was only when he was in within distance of the Kell that Angel finally holstered his hand cannon and unsheathed his knife, letting out a roar as he leaped forward and thrusted his weapon into the Kell's side. Why he opted for his small knife to his powerful hand cannon Angel will himself will never understand, but the Hunter was satisfied with the sound of the Kell letting out a screeching cry. That is, until he felt a sudden tug by the end of his cloak. Letting out a choked cry, Angel felt himself lose his grip on his knife before opting to reach up to his cloak around his neck, attempting to relief the pressure around his throat.

" _How dare you attack me!"_ Angel heard the Kell roar and it was then the Guardian saw the glint of the shock blades coming into his view.

Closing his eyes expecting pain, the Hunter instead heard the Kell let out another screeching cry before feeling himself being flung, Angel hardly letting out a startled shout before he felt his back impact onto the metal floor, knocking the wind out of the human Guardian. Letting out a wheeze, Angel momentarily laid still up until his ragged breathes evened out before he attempted to push himself onto his feet, stumbling about before the blurriness around his vision cleared just enough to glance up at his savior.

It was the Vandal that he had saved from the blizzard, the Eliksni letting out a threatening snarl at the Kell as they held a wire rifle in his hands.

"Huh?" Angel said aloud.

"Angel! Behind!"

Startled from his Ghost's voice, Angel twirled around only to let out a yelp as he narrowly dodged a swipe from a Dreg, the latter letting out a chitter of frustration when its blade missed its mark. Removing his hand cannon from his holster, Angel raised his weapon and fired, his aim true when the Dreg's head shattered, pieces of flesh and metal fly into the air as Ether hissed from the tubes around its body before it collapsed. Letting out a sigh of relief, Angel then said, "Thanks for the warning, Hope."

"No prob!"

Smiling at his optimistic Ghost, Angel couldn't help but jump when the Kell's booming voice echoed throughout the room, " _Vellak!? What is this treachery!?"_

Glancing back at the Vandal, Angel heard him let out a grunt, his four eyes glancing at the writhing form of Oraxsis before stating, " _Originally I was here to repay a debt."_ He then let out a growl, " _but you just gave me another reason to kill you."_

Hearing his words, the Kell blinked before he let out a laugh, " _You? Kill me!? What an absurd notion."_

" _It is not absurd if I am here to aid him."_ Olkar's voice joined in, the Vandal easily weaving past Fallen enemies and joining the side of his brother, the latter letting out a small grunt before nodding his head in greeting.

Seeing this, Angel took in a deep breath before he holstered his hand cannon and held out his hands, the familiar shape of his large weapon taking form in his grasp. When he felt his arms shift at the sudden addition of weight in his hands, Angel then shouted, " _Me as well!"_

He then pulled the trigger, the machine gun roaring to life.

The bullets pelted the Kell's shields, almost instantly wearing them down to nothing before they shattered, causing the Kell to let out a cry of surprise when the bullets started pelting his armor. However, the barrage didn't last long as the gun's roar soon slowed down to clicks, causing Angel to glance down then back up at the Kell.

"Well," Angel let out a sheepish smile as the Kell let out a snarl, "Hope, let me guess, no more heavy ammo?"

"No heavy ammo."

"Well, shit."

Angel made a mad dash to the side, barely dodging the Kell's jump, the latter landing where the Guardian just stood. Hearing the Kell let out a scream of frustration, Angel held up his machine gun to let Hope materialize back into his inventory before he removed his hand cannon from his holster, "Anything in my vault that can help me?"

"Besides your sniper? Not much." Hope let out a small 'tsk, tsk', "Told you we should have spent glimmer on a shotgun instead of new armor."

"Hey, you have to admit my old ones were getting worn down."

"Good point."

Noticing the Kell approaching him, the Hunter rolled between the giant Eliksni's legs, feeling the Kell's hand barely graze the end of his cloak. Quickly turning around and pushing himself onto his feet, Angel started firing at the Kell, his bullets ricocheting off of the large Eliksni's armor.

"Welp, I guess it's either a heavy or a gun that at least can pack a punch," Hope commented, Angel letting out a groan as his Ghost's voice echoed throughout his helmet, "your luck is not on your side today, Angel."

"Don't remind me."

Seeing the Kell approach him once more, Angel prepared himself to dodge when a bolt of arc energy fired from seemingly nowhere, colliding into the Kell's helmet and causing him to stagger. Blinking, the Hunter turned his head just in time to watch Vellak fire another shot from his wire rifle, the bolt hitting its target once more and sending the Kell reeling. No sooner had the Kell lost his footing that Olkar leaped forward and wrapped himself around the larger Eliksni's head. Watching the Vandal easily weave away from the cursing larger Eliksni's grasp, Angel's eyes went wide when Olkar's wrapped his hands around one of the tubes connecting the Kell's Ether mask and with a grunt, tugged. Seeing this action, the Hunter expected the tube to pull free but instead, the human Guardian's jaw hung open when the Kell's head instead snapped to the side from the force of the pull, causing the larger Eliksni to let out a squeal of surprise. Apparently having expected the Ether tube to be pulled out flawlessly, Olkar paused in his movements long enough for the Kell to reach up and grab the Vandal around the head and before Olkar could protest, the Kell tossed the Vandal across the room. Seeing Olkar skid across the floor, the Hunter lifted his hand cannon once more and fired his shots, the bullets once again doing nothing against the Kell's armor. At least it was enough to distract the large Eliksni away from the younger Vandal long enough for Olkar to push himself back onto his feet while shaking his head, Vellak chittering words of concern before aiming his wire rifle once more.

"I. Regret. So. Much. Right. Now." Angel gritted his teeth as he backed away from the approaching Kell, the larger Eliksni not even fazed against the hand cannon shots pelting his chest armor, "And. Why. Can't. I. Aim. Today?"

Once again, before the Kell could grab hold of the Hunter, an arc shot pelted the Kell's helmet, staggering the larger Eliksni once more. However, this time, he had enough. With a loud roar, the Kell charged towards the older Vandal, the latter paused in surprise before he lowered his weapon and attempted to reload, backing up in order to gain some distance from the larger Kell. Feeling the rushing footsteps of the Kell grow close, Vellak's actions turned more frantic as he dropped the empty canister of arc energy onto the floor and pulled out another and shoved it into the slot of his rifle. The shadow of the Kell now looming over him, the older Vandal brought up his weapon and his finger pressed pressure onto the trigger. Suddenly, Vellak felt his weapon being wrung from his hands and before he could react, felt strong hands grab him by the shoulders and feeling his feet leaving the floor. His surroundings turned into a blur before pain followed as Vellak felt his back slam into the floor, letting out a scream as a sickening 'crack' emitted from his back. Feeling the grip on his shoulders leave him, Vellak let out screeches of anger and pain as he attempted to push himself back onto his feet, only for him to buckle and collapse back onto the floor as his legs refused to move with his commands.

" _I'll deal with you later, traitor."_ The Kell rumbled before turning around, only to once again stumble backwards as the younger Vandal latched onto his helmet.

" _You crippled him!"_ Olkar screeched as he once again wrapped his grasps around the Kell's Ether tubes, rage flaring in his four luminescent eyes, " _Your crippled my-"_

The younger Vandal was cut off as a hand reached up and grasped him around the throat, causing Olkar to let out a choke as he was pried off and held up close to the Kell's face, the latter's four eyes narrowing at the young Vandal.

" _You, I will end you now."_ With his words spoken, the Kell tightened his grasped around the younger Eliksni's neck, the latter immediately reaching up with his four arms and scratching away at the larger Eliksni's hand in a vain attempt to get away, his legs kicking as if to lift himself out of the Kell's grasp for air.

Watching the scene unfold before him, the Hunter clenched his teeth before firing his weapon once more at the Kell, this time aiming for the head. However, much to his chagrin, Angel's bullets ricocheted off of the larger Eliksni's helmet, the shots only receiving a low rumble from the Kell. He was laughing, the larger Eliksni believing he had won by incapacitating two of the three attackers against him, and with the surrounding Fallen pushing back his teammates, the Hunter couldn't help but feel the hope of victory being quashed in his chest.

"Fuck!" Angel threw his weapon to the ground, hearing the hand cannon clatter and skid away from him as he bit back tears. Was he always this useless? Always this weak? What happened to that sniper on their first mission together? The one who easily shot two captains dead in two separate shots and helped aid his comrades in killing an Archon? Feeling hopelessness rising up in his chest, Angel glanced back at Oraxsis, the Baron long ago having paused in his stiff movements and now laid still on the floor, his heavy breathing apparent as his lifeblood continued to pool around him. The Hunter then focused his gaze onto the two Vandals, Vellak letting out curses in his tongue towards the Kell as he attempted to pull himself towards the larger Eliksni in a vain attempt to save his littermate and Olkar taking in gasps of air as he continued to fight against the Kell's grasp.

"Angel? Angel come on! We have to do somethin'!"

Hearing his Ghost's scream through his helmet, Angel gritted his teeth as he scanned his surroundings, his green eyes coming to a pause onto the Kell's side. Right there, still embedded in his armor, was the Hunter's knife.

" _You do know why they are called 'Blade Dancers' right?"_ Cayde's voice echoed through Angel's head, " _Yeah the class is beautiful and lethal but it also holds some risks. As you know, Hunters don't exactly have the Warlock's ability to regenerate their shields in a quick fashion or the armored tank of a Titan. As such the reason why many of us like to stay in the back and fire from afar. But Blade Dancers, they're risking 'everything' when they pick up their blade and rush full speed ahead into enemy lines. With nothing but their knives protecting them from their foes, you better hope that every swing counts or otherwise, it may be your last."_

"Angel." Hope's voice snapped Angel out of his thoughts, "You're not thinkin'…"

A sheepish smile faded onto the Hunter's tan features, "Sorry. Hope."

It was then the Hunter dashed forward, hearing his Ghost let out a small squeal of surprise as Angel leaped forward and wrapped his fingers around the familiar handle of his knife. Quickly taking in a breath, Angel concentrated his light into his blade, hearing the arc energy hum around the metal before white flashed into the Hunter's vision. Then with a shout, Angel swung around, feeling the energized knife easily rip through the Kell's armor and side, causing the Eliksni to let out a howl of pain as he staggered back. Watching the larger Eliksni drop the young Vandal, Angel did not bother on checking up on Olkar. His focus was now on the injured Kell. Feeling his rage build up within his chest, Angel let his light swirl around him, burst of Arc energy bursting and snapping away at any Fallen who were unfortunate or foolish enough to be nearby. With his Arc Blade still buzzing with light, Angel dashed towards the Kell once more and swung his blade forward, feeling his blade pierce through the Eliksni's leg. Feeling the floor under his feet rumble as the Kell fell onto one knee, Angel skidded and twirled around and dashed towards his intended target: the left arm of the large Eliksni. Raising his knife high, Angel let out a roar as he stabbed his weapon in between the joints of the Kell's armor, hearing the Eliksni let out a howl before Angel twisted his knife downwards and couldn't help but let a sensation of glee flow through his chest as the arm easily popped out. Vermillion blood soon smothered Angel's field of vision, his ears deaf to the Kell's screams as agony as Angel focused on the other arm, easily weaving past the Kell's vain attempted to grab at him as he swung his weapon at the remaining lower arm. Letting his knife slide through the joints of the armor, Angel snapped back his weapon, hearing another 'pop' to signal that the arm was detached from its owner. His vision red, Angel dashed to the Kell's front and leaped forward, letting his knees take the full brunt of the force and knocking the larger Eliksni onto the metal floor. Taking in deep breathes, Angel felt the Kell writhe underneath as the Guardian growled, " _Die you disgusting Dreg."_ Then with a final shout, Angel swung his weapon down onto the Kell's face, feeling the Eliksni stiffen underneath before it went limp. Letting his energized blade buzz in his grasp for several moments, Angel only let his light stop flowing into his knife once he was sure the Kell wasn't going to stand back up anytime soon. His shoulders sagging, Angel felt exhaustion scream from his joints, his body screaming for rest as the adrenaline rush from his 'dance' faded. Taking in deep breathes, Angel only noticed his Ghost calling his name when he turned around, only to see that the room had completely went still, both Guardians and Eliksni alike having paused in their fight to witness the spectacle of the Kell now unmoving on the Ketch floor.

"Angel!" Hope's voice rang in his ears, "Of all the reckless things we had done together back in the Wilds that was the best!"

Letting a tired smile glaze over his tan features, Angel staggered back onto his feet, standing on the chest of the deceased Kell as he shouted, " _Your Kell has fallen. Unless you want certain death, there is no reason to fight. You are free to stay and join Lady Ixrsis' fight against your house or leave this Ketch and return to the Devils."_ Pausing in his words, Angel listened to the chorus of chitters emitting from the Fallen, some laced with concern others with doubt, " _Any attempts on the lives of the Guardians and the Rebels will have to deal with me."_ Now anyone who knows Angel well can recognize a bluff when they hear it, but to the Fallen now present in the room, the way the Hunter's tone darkened and the way his grip around his knife tighten threateningly was enough to convince that the human Guardian was not lying. Majority of the Fallen exited the room, murmuring chitters and chirps of disappointment or disgust as they left and headed towards the bay for the smaller ships. However, there were a handful of Fallen who dropped their weapons and bent down on one knee, signaling their new alliance. Letting his confident posture drop, Angel slid off of the body of the Kell and letting himself fall flat on his bottom, too exhausted to care at how unthreatening he now looked to the Fallen currently in the room. No sooner had he slid off when he felt an impact hit him on the side of the head, hard enough to get his attention but not hard enough to actually crack through his helmet. Letting out a startled yelp, Angel brought his hand up and rubbed the area of his helmet where he had been hit before turning his green eyes upwards, locking onto the black and azure form of the Awoken Warlock. From the way he was glaring down at him with his grip tight on his fusion rifle, the Veteran Guardian didn't look too happy.

This caused Angel to give the Veteran Warlock a sheepish smile, despite his shaded visor hiding his features, "Oh, hey, Ianos."

From the way Ianos gave him no response and an audible crack could be heard from the Warlock's death grip on his fusion rifle, it was not the reply that the Veteran Guardian had expected.

"You rushed ahead with 'no' back up and leaving your team behind surrounded by Fallen to take on a 'Kell' of all the Traveler forsaken enemies we had to face with only 'two' other Eliksni to back you up and all you can say is 'hey'?" Ianos spoke through gritted teeth and even though Angel couldn't see through the Warlock's visor, he could easily sense the icy glare he was receiving behind it, "What were you thinking!? Thinking that you can take on a fucking Kell!? A Kell! An enemy that even seasoned Guardians have a hard time taking on!"

"I…wasn't…thinking straight?" Angel tentatively replied, slowly shrinking back as Ianos snarled, "Not thinking straight…Not thinking straight!? Did you not think that there was a chance you would have died!? I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you! "

"Wait, what?" Angel's eyes went wide behind his helmet as Ianos quickly stopped himself, the Warlock going stiff as if he was caught red-handed, "If something happened to me?" Slowly, a smug grin faded onto Angel's tan features, "Are you actually admitting that you were concerned for me?" The Hunter couldn't help but let a teasing tone roll into his words, beaming up at the Warlock who took a couple of steps back as he managed to stutter, "S-Shut up!"

A laugh came up from behind the Warlock before a hand came and gave the Veteran Warlock a good slap on the back, causing the latter to wheeze as the familiar black and brown clad form of Akiva came into the Hunter's view, "Aw, the kid actually cares."

"Forget it," Shrugging off of the human Titan's hand off of his shoulder, Ianos walked away and headed towards Pluto and Aleeza's position. This caused Akiva to let out a chuckle before reaching out and holding out a hand to the younger Guardian, Angel letting out a grateful grunt as he clasped his hand onto the older Guardian's palm and heaved himself up with Akiva's assistance. As soon as the Hunter was back on his feet, Angel felt an impact on his back, causing him to let out a wheeze and stumble.

"Can't wait to tell Cayde that one of his Hunters took down a Kell," Akiva beamed at the wheezing Guardian, "and with an Arc Blade no less." The human Titan let out another laugh as he added, "Hunters will always find flashy ways to kill their enemies no matter the situation at hand."

"Just seemed like a good idea at the time," Angel gave the human Titan a sheepish smile before it quickly faded when he recognized the guttural language of the Fallen, glancing around until his eyes spotted Olkar attempted to help Vellak onto his feet, only for the older Vandal to let out a pained cry when his legs dragged on the floor, startling the younger Vandal and losing his grip on his littermate's arms.

"Akiva, help me," The Hunter gave no time for the Titan to respond as he rushed towards the two Eliksni, not even bothering to make his footsteps light as he approached. This in turn caught the attention of Olkar, the younger Fallen glancing up from his attempts to get his brother on his feet.

" _Pure One, help me get Vellak to stand,"_ Olkar chittered nervously as he once again hooked his arms under his brother's, " _Then we can get to our Father and-"_

" _I'm telling you for the last time, Olkar, my legs will not work,"_ Vellak hissed, causing Olkar to flinch, " _Leave me and head over to Oraxsis, he needs your attention more than mine."_

It was then guilt punched the younger Guardian in the chest, his green eyes crestfallen. How could he have quickly forgotten about the Baron? With his thoughts clouding over with guilt, Angel jumped slightly when a hand clamped down onto his shoulder.

"I'll take care of these two," Angel turned his head and blinked, the human Titan tilting his head slightly have if to question the Hunter's rigid posture, "go ahead and tend to Oraxsis, alright?"

Hesitating, Angel only let out a nod when Akiva patted the Hunter's shoulder before slipping past the younger Guardian to tend the two Eliksni, signaling Angel to turn and quickly dash towards the injured Baron, ignoring the chittering protests of the surrendering Fallen as he brushed past them. Having Oraxsis in his sights, color from Angel's face drained when he saw the amount of vermillion blood around the large Eliksni's body and when the Hunter saw the Baron's eyes closed, he feared the worst. However, when Angel slid down onto his knees next to the Baron's side, Oraxsis' eyes flickered open, causing the younger Guardian to let out his breathe he had not known he had been holding.

" _How are you-"_

" _Do not ask me how I am doing, Pure One,"_ Oraxsis rasped, the Hunter recoiling from the Baron's words, " _You know the answer."_

Biting his lower lip, Angel tilted his gaze downwards, unable to utter aloud the meaning of the Baron's words. From the way the Baron had long laid his arms on his side, leaving only one hand on his stomach and not even close to pressing the wound on his chest, Angel knew that it was too late to save the larger Eliksni's life, especially if the Eliksni himself could feel the threads of life fading. But a small part of him hoped that somehow, he could save the Baron's life if he reacted fast enough, saving the father of the Vandals that aided him in his mission. Now, all he could do was stay near the Baron's side as the last of his life ebbed away.

Hearing the Baron let out a soft grunt, Angel lifted up his gaze as Oraxsis reached up with one of his upper arms and gently wrapped his hand around the Hunter's, gaining a wide eyed look from the Guardian as the Eliksni started, " _My people may have fallen from the Great Machine's grace, but our lives are still many years long thanks to our life sustaining Ether."_ Taking in labored breath, Oraxsis continued, " _Despite my status, I am long lived compared to the others of my race, having my lower arms first docked back when Guardians were called the Risen."_ Tilting his gaze up so that his four eyes glanced into the Hunter's helmet, Oraxsis muttered, " _As the years passed, any chance of peace between Eliksni and the Guardians weaned with each clash between us. Eventually, after the battle of Twilight Gap, I gave up any faith of peace between the two races and devoted my time in destroying the city of the humans and reclaiming the Great Machine."_ Pausing in his words, Oraxsis let out a tired sigh, " _But when I listened to Lady Ixrsis speak of you privately, I can see in her posture that she trusted you greatly despite her fear of me and this sparked the hope that peace may one day build between our people."_ His four eyes beamed dimly up at the Hunter, " _My only regret is that I will not be able to see it come to fruition."_

"D-don't s-s- _say_ th- _th-_ th- _that!"_ Angel stuttered between the two tongues, his grip on the tightening as he reached over with his other hand and clasped down on the Eliksni's, " _I-I bet right now_ Carina _and the others are piloting the ship towards the Tower."_ His lower lip trembling, Angel continued, " _We-We can get you help. We can-"_

" _You are smarter than this, Pure One,"_ Oraxsis rasped, abruptly stopping the Hunter mid-sentence, " _You know as well as I do that the Tower will be of no aid to me."_ Angel could feel the Eliksni squeeze his hand comfortingly, " _Do not clasp onto false hope."_

The edges of his vision blurring, Angel said nothing but hunched over and press the Eliksni's hand to his helmet, " _What of your children? Do you not want to be around to watch them progress further? To watch them grow?"_

" _They are old enough to take care of themselves,"_ Oraxsis grunted, " _They also have each other."_ He then heard the Baron let out a sigh, " _I just do not know how Axtris will deal with my death."_

Listening to the Eliksni chat nonchalantly of his passing, Angel felt the tears flow freely from his eyes, letting out a quiet sob as his shoulders shook, once again feeling the Eliksni comfortingly squeeze his hand, the Baron saying nothing as he watched the Guardian silently grieve next to his side.

It was then Angel heard a pair of footsteps slowly approach, one he recognized as Akiva's thanks to the heavier footfalls and the Hunter quickly deduced that the other must have been Olkar's, his theory quickly confirmed when he listened to the lighter foot falls rush towards Oraxsis and come to a pause on the Baron's other side, followed by a screeching, ' _Father'_ from the younger Eliksni. Listening to Akiva's footsteps come to a pause next to him, Angel listened to the Titan shuffling, causing Angel to slightly turn his head just enough to watch Akiva kneel down on his knees, gingerly placing Vellak on the ground, using one arm to support the older Eliksni into a sitting position.

"How are you doing big guy?" Angel heard Akiva ask, the dull tone in the Titan's voice giving away that he already knew the answer.

Instead of an immediate response, Oraxsis let out a short snort, " _Despite how I had reacted to you earlier, you still consider me, 'a friend'?"_

A sad chuckle could be heard from the human Titan, "Hey, friends sometimes hurt each other's feelings, right?"

" _Father?"_

Lifting up his head, Angel watched Olkar let out a sad rumble, leaning over his father's chest as he continued, " _You are…not well?"_

" _Always the hopeful one,"_ Oraxsis' four eyes beamed sadly at the younger Vandal, " _Listen to me well, my children. When I pass-"_

" _You are not going to pass!"_

" _-watch each other, take care of each other, ensure the survival of the others as best as you can. Not only make it your duty to aid each other, but aid others who do not have the strength or capacity to hold out on their own. And…"_ Turning his fading eyes towards Angel, Oraxsis finished, " _protect Pure One, for he symbolizes the peace between our people."_

His green eyes filled with surprise, Angel opened his mouth to respond to the Baron's words but felt his throat tighten, unable to form the words on his tongue as he watched Oraxsis lean his head back onto the floor.

" _I'm sorry, my children. I'm sorry. Vellak. Olkar. Axtris. For not being… a better…sire…"_

It was then the light faded from the Baron's eyes and almost immediately, a howl of grief echoed from Olkar as Angel felt the larger Eliksni's grip go limp in his hands, causing fresh tears to form in the Hunter's eyes. Turning his blurring vision towards the older Guardian and Vandal, Angel found himself surprised to find Akiva shaking, his grip tight on the crippled Eliksni's shoulders as the latter had his head bowed, and his four eyes closed in respect.

Turning his gaze back onto the still form of the baron, Angel reached out and brushed his fingers against the Baron's eyes, closing them effectively for the deceased Eliksni.

" _May the Great Machine guide you to peace,"_ Angel murmured, catching the attention of the two Vandals, " _and may the Light guide you."_

"We'll give him a proper burial when we reach land."

Startled, the group turned around, their attention now on the blind Exo as he stood before him, his weapons sheathed on his back with Ianos and Aleeza on either side respectively.

Sensing the doubt from the younger Guardian, Pluto let a sheepish smile fade onto his dark features, "Don't worry, if anyone protests, they will have to speak to me."

Gratitude filling up his chest, Angel opened his mouth to speak but before he could form a proper thank you, a loud explosion rang through the room followed by the ship snapping to one side, throwing everyone off of their feet.

Xxxx

"Can you not get a link to the Tower faster!?"

{" _I am sending the frequency as best as I can! I can't seem to get a link in!"}_

Snarling, Carina somehow regained her balance, gripping her fingers tightly onto the consoles where Axtris was seated before reaching over and pressing what she had hoped is the communications button.

"I DO NOT FUCKING CARE WHO ORDERED THE SHOT! VANGUARD! SPEAKER! WHOEVER THE FUCK YOU ARE I AM GOING SHOVE MY FOOT SO HIGH UP INTO THEIR ASS THAT THEY WILL REGRET THE DAY THEY GAVE THE COMMAND!"

{ _"C-Carina!"}_

Ignoring the protests of her Ghost, Carina instead opted to glare at the star shaped AI hovering above Axtris' controls, her hidden glare enough to reign the Ghost into silence, "Did they get the fucking message?"

{ _"I-I don't know, to be honest. I'm not even sure-}"_

"Carina?"

{" _They got it."}_

Letting out an amused snort, Carina reached over and pressed the button, "This is Carina-23 speaking. Permission to land S.S Mission Complete into the Tower Hangar, over."

When the Exo released the button on the controls, there was no response. However, moments later, static built up to signal a link and Carina could barely hear the familiar laughter of the Hunter Vanguard followed by a stern 'Cayde' from Ikora. From what the female Titan could deduce, it was Zavala who had given the command to fire at the stolen Ketch.

{ _"Ooooh boy."}_

With a huff, Carina used the back of her hand to tap the Ghost, hard enough to send him off balance but gentle enough it wasn't going to do any damage to him. This in turn caused a small 'squeak' to emit from the small Ghost, sending him spinning through the air before he regained control of his core, his violet optic glaring at his Guardian. Carina gave him an innocent smile in response.

"Titan Carina-23, this is Commander Zavala. Permission to enter the Tower Hangar has been granted.

"Thank you."

Hearing the static drop dead, Carina heard the female Vandal let out a sigh of relief, watching the female Eliksni's stiff shoulders relax.

"Glad we're not being shot out of the sky?" The Exo asked.

" _I'm just glad we're alive."_

Snorting at the female Vandal's answer, Carina watched Spears glide over and let his light stream back into the console, guiding the female pilot to the Hangar.

"Oh yeah, word of advice, before we leave the ship, make sure to stay behind me."

The female Exo's words caused Axtris to turn and give the Guardian a bewildered look, " _Now why-"_ The female Vandal paused on her words when she received a blank stare from the Titan, silent until moments later when it clicked, " _…The other lights."_ Carina heard the disappointment in the female Vandal's voice, and the female Exo couldn't help but reach out and give Axtris a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"Look, as much as I would like for you guys to roam the Tower freely, not all Guardians share the same opinions and views as my team and I." Carina stated, earning a slow nod from the Eliksni, "So just stay behind us when we exit the ship and if anyone slips past us, protect the injured."

" _We are not defenseless."_ A Vandal piped up from their console, causing Carina to turn and give the Eliksni a blank stare.

"Alright, I'll let you all go free onto the Hangar. Unarmed. Against a group of Guardians who are capable of devastating damage with their light and have a grudge against you all."

This immediately silenced the Vandal.

Letting a smirk form onto her silver features, Carina paused when the familiar static filled her helmet, glancing over at Spears who nodded his head at the familiar frequency before the familiar 'click' followed, "Carina-23 here."

"What the hell was that?"

Recognizing the blind Exo's voice, Carina let out a snort, "Well, let's just say that when the Ketch came into view of the Tower, they didn't try to make contact."

"They fired at us!?"

"At first, but I…convinced them, that it was us. We have permission to land in the Hangar."

Silence filled the coms, leaving Carina with only mild static before Pluto's voice rang back in, "Alright, once the ship lands, meet us at the Hangar."

"Wait, what about the rest of the Fallen?"

"Most of them took the smaller ships and left. The remainder isn't a large enough number to be a threat and they swore their allegiance to Kell Ixrsis."

"Wait, Kell?" Carina turned her violet eyes towards the female Captain, who in turn gave the Exo a puzzled look.

"You know that every house needs a Kell to remain stable," Pluto stated, "Now that another Devil Kell is down and she's gaining more Fallen onto her side, a new House will be formed and more than likely, Ixrsis is going to be their new Kell."

"Well good news for us then," Carina grinned, "A Fallen House in alliance with the Tower. That will be a great advantage for us."

"Wish I was as optimistic as you, young light," Pluto muttered, "Just remember to meet us in the Hangar when we land, alright?"

"Roger!"

Xxxxx

Hearing the familiar click of the coms turning off, Pluto turned his focus onto his surroundings, heaving out a sigh at the Eliksni slowly gathering around the Baron's body. Apparently, majority of the Eliksni who surrendered have at least known the Baron, from the way some of them let out mournful chitters while as the others bowed their heads in respect. Although empathizing with the group, all Pluto could worry about now is how the hell they're going to get 'everyone' off of the damaged ship. There was no doubt in Pluto's mind that the Ketch won't make it any farther after they land, and he highly doubts many of the inhabitants of the Tower will be willing to let Fallen freely roam around the Hangar to rebuild their ship. Not to mention the other rebels who were located 'outside' of the Tower, who are most likely getting agitated from the lack of response form the two emissaries they have sent to the Guardians. He will have to ask Axtris about it later.

"Come on, we have to head to the Hangar," Pluto ordered, catching the attention of Akiva and Pluto, both of whom had not taken their eyes off of the Baron's body until the Exo's voice rang through the silence. Seeing the rigidness, the hesitation in their body posture, Pluto couldn't help but let out a sigh of defeat, especially after seeing Vellak glance over and giving the Exo a tired look.

"Alright, we'll take him with us," Pluto muttered, immediately noticing the way the two younger Guardian's body perked up, "We'll needs some cloths – or capes- to lift him, make some of the stronger Fallen carry him while we make our way to the Hangar."

"Uhm, you sure that's a good idea?" Aleeza asked, glancing nervously over at the Fallen surrounding her, "I mean sure, go for it, give Oraxsis a proper burial but how will the others at the Tower react when they see a bunch of Fallen carrying the body of a Baron?"

"They'll deal," Ianos piped in, earning a startled look from the female Warlock, "If not, we'll be there to fix things."

"I hope you're right."

Pluto let out a single grunt before he turned to the Fallen surrounding them, "Listen up, all of you remove your capes."

When puzzled chittering echoed throughout the room, Pluto continued, "We are going to carry Baron Oraxsis out of this ship. We cannot leave him here. The Ketch no place to bury a warrior."

Murmured chitters echoed throughout the room, the translated words of the Exo still lingering their minds before the first of the Eliksni – a Vandal- unhooked their cape from their shoulders and immediately tried flattening it out and weaving it underneath the Baron's body. Seeing their comrade comply with the Guardian's words, the others followed suite, easily slipping their red cloaks under Oraxsis' body and some taking positions nearby, ready to move him. Some even placed their capes over the Baron's body, bowing their head in respect as they did so. Even Vellak and Olkar unhooked their capes and draped the red cloth over their sire.

"I appreciate this, Pluto." Angel stated as he stood up, reflexively bringing his arm to his face to wipe away the tears only to find his helmet in the way, "Never really knew him that long but-"

"You're too empathetic." Pluto blurted, earning a sheepish smile from the human Hunter. This in turn caused the Exo to heave out a sigh, only to immediately keep himself steady when the Ketch rocked, the familiar sign that they have landed, "Alright, everyone, get ready."

Xxxxx

Ianos knew that the sight of a Ketch landing in the Hangar will 'definitely' catch the attentions of the Guardians. What he had not expected was the Hangar door opening and every single Guardian pointing their weapon straight at the door. This just caused the Warlock to shake his head, watching the Guardians opposite of him and his team keeping their weapons propped up, especially when the sight of the Eliksni came into view, the body of the Baron following behind them.

"What the hell is this?" A fellow Guardian's voice piped up, snarling as they added, "We heard the rumors but I didn't want to believe that one of our own actually went ahead and aided the scavengers."

"Scavengers? Is that supposed to be a derogatory term for my people?" Ianos heard Vellak scoff, stretched accent apparent in his words but they were clear enough for the opposing Guardian to gawk at the crippled Eliksni, the latter having made himself comfortable in the arms of the human Titan, "You Guardians always did lack imagination."

"Why you-"

"Hey! Hey! No need to act so violent already," Akiva piped in, Ianos easily sensing the uneasiness from the human Titan, "Can't we just all talk and get along?"

"After what those scavengers have done to us!?" Another Guardian screeched, "No! We would rather shoot them dead."

It was then snarls emitted from behind the team. Although Ianos doubted that many of the Eliksni understood the language of humans, the threatening tone behind the Guardian's words was enough to understand.

Before anyone could retort, a screech came from behind and all attention turned to focus on the source. The familiar form of Axtris sliding down the hatch and shoving any Eliksni that was in her way came into view before she came to a pause near Oraxsis' body, her hands quivering as she reached out towards the cloth and slowly lifted it. Almost immediately, a howl of grief escaped the female Vandal as she threw herself onto the Baron's body, her words incoherent as she mourned.

Watching the female Vandal grieve over the body of her sire, Ianos noticed movement from the entrance of the hatch, instantly recognizing the copper clad form of Carina tiptoe down the walkway as he switched his gaze. The Exo must have sensed the Awoken's gaze on her as the Titan shifted her sight away from Axtris and gave Ianos a small wave when they made eye contact. She must have done that to tell him that she was alright but Ianos could tell from the way her shoulders sagged, the way her arms dropped to her side as she walked said otherwise. As Ianos watched Carina take her spot near the team, he then spotted another group of Eliksni, a Captain with several Vandals and a handful of Dregs following behind her, make their way to the platform. Ianos watched the female Eliksni carefully as she made her way to the Baron's body, giving Axtris' shoulder a comforting squeeze as she passed before bowing her head in respect to the larger Fallen. She then turned and whispered to the rest of the group following behind her, the latter chittering back as she finished giving them her orders before spreading out, encircling the body of the Baron. Ianos could only guess as extra protection in case things go awry. Listening to Ixrsis chitter silently in Eliksni tongue, the Captain then carefully made her way down the rest of the hatch before taking her spot next to Angel, the Hunter reaching out and placing a hand on her arm, earning a low rumble from the female Eliksni.

" _Axtris,"_ Instantly recognizing the tone as Olkar, Ianos snapped his attention to the male Vandal as he stepped away from Angel's side to wrap his arms tenderly around his grieving littermate, watching her bury her face into the cloth that hid her sire's body from view.

Momentarily watching the two Vandals, Ianos heaved out a sigh before turning his attention back onto the Guardians, "Are you watching this? We went on this mission with eight of us in tow. Although we were successfully, we returned one less. Look at her." Ianos nodded his head towards Axtris, her sobs still coherent through the crowd, "Does she not mourn the loss of a loved one? Is she any different to us when we lose some close to us?" Ianos' eyes caught several of the Guardians lower their weapons, murmuring to themselves. Just a bit more. "Listen brothers and sisters, it is true we warred with the Eliksni for many years. But are they any different to us? They bleed and die like us. They mourn and grieve like us. I believe it is time to put our differences aside and make peace, even if it just one House. One less battle to fight. Less lives lost."

More Guardians lowered their weapons, but Ianos could barely pinpoint some amongst the crowd who kept their weapons up, their fingers twitching on the trigger of their weapon.

"This is bullshit!"

Glancing up, Ianos couldn't help but let out a groan when he recognized the blonde strands of Leo stepping in between the crowd, his brown hues narrowing at the group.

"Are you really going to believe that we can be truly be at peace with these scavengers?" Leo snarled, his auto rifle in his hands, "We watched what they were capable of. They take the lives of innocent civilians when they raid settlements. Killing unarmed men, women, and children all because they were in the way." Glaring at Ianos' Fireteam, "And don't forget the lives of our comrade in arms they had taken away from us."

 _Shit,_ Ianos thought to himself, his orange hues catching sight of Guardians picking up their weapons, _we might have a fight on our hands._

His grip on his fusion rifle tightening, Ianos took in a deep breathe when Leo took another step forward.

"Hey! Vellak! Wait!"

Hearing the startled cries of Akiva echo through the Hangar, Ianos turned his attention to the Titan just in time to witness Vellak scramble out of the human Titan's arms, ignoring the fact he has no use of his legs. Listening to the Eliksni curse in his native tongue, Vellak opted to drag himself towards Leo, earning a puzzled look from the Guardian before the Titan's eyes widen in recognition.

"You." Leo gritted his teeth as Vellak propped himself up, keeping himself steady with his lower arms, "You were that Fallen that killed my previous Fireteam!"

"And you, ' _human'_ are the one took the life of my mother and the rest of my brothers and sisters." Vellak snarled.

The Vandal's words reigned the room into silence and catching the attention of his younger littermates; Olkar snarling as he laid his eyes on the blonde Guardian while as Axtris' tearful gaze glanced between Vellak and Leo.

"I witnessed 'everything' when I heeded the call for help from our mother," Vellak snarled, "Do you remember? A Captain leading a group of three Vandals and a Dreg wandering near the Refinery?"

When the Vandal saw the puzzled look on the human Titan's face, Vellak shook his head, "Of course you wouldn't, and makes me wonder how many of my brothers and sisters lives you and your team have taken from me."

"Why I ought to-"

"You and your team killed them when they were 'defenseless'," Vellak growled, stopping the Titan mid-sentence, "They didn't even have weapons when you found them but yet you fired without even questioning that they were simply there just to gather scraps to convert into Ether to last the week."

Using his arms to help himself lean forward, Vellak glared at the Guardians around him, "I am the oldest of my litter mates, being the first born out of a litter of six. As the years passed, my mother birthed two more litters, each holding three to six each. Do you know how many of them are now alive and well?" The Vandal nodded his head towards Olkar and Axtris, "Only two of them remain, all because Guardians believed us to be a threat when in actuality, all we wanted is to survive. And now, we are orphaned, our father giving up his life to ensure that this so called 'alliance' between our people will come to reality."

Snarling, Vellak continued, "Like all of you, I would rather tear out your throats here and now, if it were not for the fact that my life was saved by one of you." Letting out a grunt, Vellak ignored the shocked expressions on the crowd's face as he continued, "I do admit that I have taken the lives of many of who you had called your brothers and sisters but I have paid a small price." Shifting his arms beside him, Vellak added, "If you wish to take my life as pertinence then so be it, but remember 'Guardians', you had called my people 'murderers' and 'killers' when you had taken the same actions against us." Tilting his head at them, he added, "If you were to put yourselves into my people's perspective, who are truly the 'murderers' and 'killers'?"

Murmuring echoed from the group of Guardians, some of them dropping their weapons as they kept their eyes on the crippled Vandal, others showing doubt but reluctantly stowing their weapons away. However, there were others who still kept their weapons up, the grip on their weapons actually ready to fire at any moment. Even Leo, kept the scowl on his face before he approached Vellak and aimed his hand cannon at the male Vandal's head. As Ianos' eyes widen, the Warlock watched the older Vandal close his four eyes and bow his head. He must have been ready to die right when he dragged himself out of Akiva's grasp. Before the Warlock could take a step forward to Vellak's aid, Ianos caught movement from the corner of his eyes and he barely caught the familiar dark green cloak billowing behind Angel as the Hunter dashed towards Leo and Vellak. He always had been the fastest of his team.

"Angel!" Ianos called out rushing towards the Hunter as he reached out a hand, cursing silently under his breathe when the younger Guardian easily closed the distance between them and Leo.

Ianos could only watch as Angel grabbed the human Titan's wrist as he rushed Leo, startling the latter before Leo's face contorted into fury as he quickly shifted his aim. A loud 'bang' echoed through the Hangar followed by gasps and screeching as Angel stumbled backwards, his grip on the Titan's now forgotten as he reached up with his hand towards the wound on his chest, his breathing heavy as he kept his gaze straight on Leo. Shock first overwhelmed Ianos' senses to the point where the Warlock paused, his eyes wide as Angel coughed and collapsed onto his knees, listening to Vellak screech and curse in his native tongue. It was only when Ixrsis' screeching overtook his ears when fury soon started bubbling within the Warlock.

"Aaaangeeel!" Ixrsis screeched, Ianos hearing the Captain take steps forward only to hear her curse in her native tongue as his team held her back, muttering warnings under their breaths as the Captain snarled, "He pay. You. Titan. Pay!"

It was strange, listening to Ixrsis speak in human tongue, but that thought was lost as emotions boiled within Ianos as he instead took steady but stiff strides towards Leo, brushing past Angel who snapped his gaze towards the Veteran Guardian.

"Ianos…don't…" Angel wheezed, but his words were lost in Ianos' ears as the Warlock came to a pause near Leo.

His brown hues narrowing at the Veteran Warlock, Leo scrutinized Ianos before he asked, "What? Angry that I shot your traitor of a teammate-"

Leo's words were stopped mid-sentence as Ianos swung the butt of his fusion rifle in the human Titan's face, easily feeling his weapon crunch into the human's jaw and sending the Guardian sprawling onto the floor. Ignoring the surprise shouts and gasps from his fellow Guardians, Ianos walked over Leo and aimed his weapon at the Titan's chest, the latter groaning as he held his broken jaw, his eyes narrowing at the Veteran.

"What? No' goin' to kill me, 'Guardian Killer'?" Leo's words straightened themselves out as his Ghost healed up his injury, the last words causing Ianos to noticeable flinch but the Warlock kept his weapon pointed at the Titan.

This seemed to be funny to the younger Guardian because Leo let out a laugh, "I may not have lived long enough to know what exactly happened, but I heard the rumors. You killed a fellow Guardian, who was unarmed, right out on the Plaza while they were chatting away with a fellow brother and sister. You didn't even say anything when you tapped the Guardian on the shoulder, your own 'Fireteam' member before raising your weapon and shooting them in the head, killing them instantly before immediately shooting their Ghost." Leo let out a smug smile as he noticed Ianos' weapon shaking, "What? Am I wrong?"

Gritting his teeth, the edges of Ianos' vision blurred as his grip tightened on the Fusion Rifle's trigger, the familiar sound of the weapon weakly charging ringing in his ears.

"Don't talk. Like as though. You know everything!" The Warlock shouted as he pressed the trigger, the charge of the fusion rifle now clear in everyone's ears as the weapon lit up. This mustn't have what Leo expected as no sooner had the weapon flared when the smile on the Titan's face faded, "Wait, just-"

The weapon discharged, void energy easily engulfing the Titan who screamed as the bolts easily ate through his armor and into his skin, breaking down his body and disappearing from sight before anyone could react. Almost instantly, the familiar star shape form of his Ghost materialized over where Leo laid, gathering up its Guardian's light as Ianos lowered his weapon, glaring into the crowd of Guardians around him.

"Anyone who harms my team 'or' the Eliksni will deal with me," Ianos snarled, causing many of the Guardians to shrink back and the remaining few who had their weapons drawn quickly let their weapons materialize back into their vaults, their eyes wide with fear and shock.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Ianos turned his attention to Angel, opening his mouth to ask if he was alright only to pause when he saw the Hunter still, easily sensing the uneasiness emitting from the younger Guardian. He didn't have to see through the visor to see the gawking look from Angel, one of the Hunter's hand hovering above his wound while the other was limp on his side from shock.

Letting the silence permeate through the room, Angel finally stammered, "Y-You killed him."

Almost instantly, Ianos felt like as though he had been punched, feeling his breathe leave him at the Hunter's words. It was true that Leo's Ghost was still intact, collecting up the last few remnants of light near Ianos but the Warlock still had taken the life of a Guardian 'inside' the Tower of all places. A silent taboo amongst the Guardians. Once again grinding his teeth, Ianos held up his fusion rifle, letting it materialize into his vault before he quickly uttered, "I'll be taking my leave." He then brushed past the crowd, immediately leaving the aftermath behind him.

* * *

 _I would have continued but hitting 10k words. Too long!_

 _Have to break up the chapter and conclude the 'Rebel Eliksni' arc on the next one...that unexpected turn of events where it is actually longer than you had expected. Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	18. Goodbyes

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Goodbyes**_

 _I have no excuse for this late update. I admit it, I procrastinated. I really wanted to draw than write this week so that's what I did. But hey the chapter's here right? Anyway, thank you AAA and mystery guest for the reviews! Really appreciate it and I'm glad you are enjoying the story!  
_

* * *

"So is it true?"

Tearing his gaze away from Hope, Matt blinked, "True on what?"

Momentarily hesitating, Angel responded, "What Leo said out on the Hangar. That Ianos really killed a Guardian out on Plaza? Ghost and all?"

At first only gaining silence and a blank stare from the Medic, Angel couldn't help but shift slightly on his seat, causing his Ghost to grumble a bit as she too shifted her movement to properly heal her Guardian.

No sooner had Ianos left the scene when Matt barged in, literately flying through the air as he entered, and apparently having been nearby when the shots were fired. It was good timing on the Ex-Guardian's part, as he immediately tended to Angel before ordering Leo's Ghost to resurrect his Guardian and then led the injured Hunter towards the infirmary where Hope could easily heal him in peace, passing the three Vanguard Leaders in the process.

"Yes," Matt finally responded as a frown faded onto his fair features as he crossed his arms, "But don't take Leo's words to heart."

The younger Guardian gave the Medic a puzzled stare, "What do you mean?"

Matt just sighed, "As you know, word spreads fast around the Tower however, not all information is quite accurate as you like to believe." Leaning against the counter behind him, Matt continued, "True, Ianos did kill a Guardian, one that was part of his Fireteam, out in the Plaza in full view of everyone. To those who were there, it seemed that Ianos had killed his teammate in cold-blood."

"But..? "

"There is more to the story apparently," Matt shrugged, "However, no sooner had Ianos killed his Fireteam member when he instantly turned the gun on himself. The instant he had killed himself Ace appeared, panicking over the condition of their Guardian." Heaving out another sigh, Matt shook his head, "Something had happened to Ianos before that incident but Ace's data on that day had been corrupted, apparently the Darkness had its hold on them before they somehow managed to shake it off."

"Did you try asking Ace and Ianos about it?" Angel asked.

This earned the Hunter a snort, "You think I haven't? I did the instant we brought him to the infirmary for a mental evaluation. He immediately went haywire, screaming about betrayal and fire. Ace was no help either, they refused to talk about it if Ianos was around and even then, they refuse to tell the story without Ianos' permission." Tapping the rim of his glasses, Matt added, "All we know is that Ianos went to the moon with five other Guardians before he and that one Fireteam member returned as the only survivors."

Angel gave the Medic an exasperated look, "Wait? So out of six Guardians, only two of them returned, including Ianos?"

Matt nodded, "Sadly, not an uncommon occurrence." Fixating his brown hues into Angel's green, the Medic added, "Since the Fireteam member is dead, the only one who truly knows is Ianos himself, although I highly doubt he'll speak of it anytime soon."

"So is that why Ianos' reputation isn't necessarily high despite his age?" Angel asked as Hope leaned away from her Guardian to examine her work, "I mean, I heard some pretty nasty rumors during my stay here in the Tower."

"In part," Matt responded, earning another wide eyed look from the younger Guardian, "the other is the darkness consuming his light." Shaking his head once more, "There's nothing we can do about the rumors though, not until we can definitive proof to dispel it. But since Ianos would rather keep it to himself, that's not going to happen, at least not for a while."

Lowering his gaze to the floor, Angel jumped when he felt something tap into the side of his helmet and glanced up only to see Hope, the Ghost nodding her head towards his chest. Blinking, his eyes slowly widen in understanding before he glanced down and pressed a hand to his chest, the wound and armor stitched together, the only evidence being the blood seeped into the material.

"Well, you're good to go now that you're properly healed," Matt gave the younger Guardian a small smile, "Although, if you do see anyone from Leo's Fireteam, could you ask them to send Leo over to the Infirmary?" When the Medic sensed the blank stare he received from the Hunter, he quickly added, "For a Psyche evaluation. I need to see if he's still mentally fit for the field."

Assessing Matt's words, Angel just gave the Ex-Guardian another puzzled stare, "Why?"

That's when a dark glint flashed in the brown hues of the Medic, sending a chill down the Hunter's back as Matt gave him a wicked smile, "There's a reason why you do not mess with a Doctor's patient."

"I-uh- I will remember that," Angel stuttered out as he slid off of his seat, slowly edging his way towards the exit, "Th-thanks for the aid, Matt."

The Medic responded with a wave, the dark smile still visible on his fair features, "Anytime."

"Traveler," Hope glided slowly next to her Guardian, glancing back and forth between the infirmary and Angel, "let's not piss him off anytime soon, eh?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Angel quickly made his way to the Hangar, ignoring the gaping looks of passing Guardians at the blood on his armor.

Xxxxx

" _You alright?"_

Startled, Olkar's head snapped up from his hands, only to let out a soft grunt when his four eyes locked onto familiar white, " _You finally decided to make yourself known, Little Light?"_

" _I told you not to- Whatever."_ The Ghost rolled its optic, " _Look, I'm sorry I hid during the rest of the fight but my kind aren't exactly what you call 'durable'."_

Olkar let out a snort, but said nothing else as he turned his gaze towards the floor, his arms on his knees as he sat on the crates.

After Angel was escorted away by a Medic, three Guardians immediately entered the bay and started shouting, their human tongue incoherent to the Vandal. All he could understand was that the three were in positions of power, from the way the crowd easily dispersed without question, not even a single protest ringing through the air that Olkar could grasp. It was then the three introduced themselves to Ixrsis and the rest of the rebellion, the Eliksni just grateful that Pluto and his team still had their Ghosts to translate the leaders – the Vanguard – words to them. Right now, they had free roam of the Hangar while they find the appropriate materials to repair their Ketch. From what Olkar could understand, they were leaving the Tower and regrouping with the other Rebels as soon as their ship was fixed, much to his chagrin but he understood, especially when it comes to the others of his kind. Although the Eliksni hold true to their word that they will not harm any Guardians during their stay, who knows if the Guardians will do the same for them. While waiting for supplies – especially for the life sustaining ether – Olkar had taken a seat in the corner of the Hangar, using crates as a seat.

"… _I'm sorry for your loss."_ This caused Olkar to lift his gaze back towards the Ghost, the latter's optic filled with empathy, " _I can only imagine losing a father like that, especially since I'm, well, a machine."_

" _You are no machine, Little Light,"_ Olkar quickly stated, holding up one of his hands to invite the Ghost nestle into his palm, " _you express emotions as freely as us 'organics', you are no different."_ The Vandal then let out a low rumble, " _Although I thank you for your words, but I am more concerned for Axtris and Vellak."_ Letting the Ghost glide out of his palm, Olkar let his hand rest back onto his knee, " _Father doted on her after mother's death and as such, Axtris formed a close bond with him, I can only imagine what she is going through. And Vellak…"_ He let out a sad rumble, " _they say that he may not walk again, at least, not without assistance."_

Hearing the Ghost say nothing, Olkar heaved out a sigh as he lifted his gaze and focused on Ixrsis, the female Captain still conversed in conversation with the three Vanguard. The others had headed deep into the Ketch with his littermates, claiming safety within the ship while the Rebel Leader help draft out the alliance. Olkar stayed outside, claiming that he was there to keep an eye on the female Captain, but the way Ixrsis' eyes glowed knowingly when he requested to stay, Olkar knew that she had read him enough that he just wanted his thoughts to himself.

" _It may take some time, but they will recover,"_ Olkar's gaze fixated back onto the Ghost, the latter's back fins bristling as they added, " _it won't be easy either and who knows how long that will take."_ The small AI then paused, hesitating on their next words, " _But I do know this, they will need the aid of their littermate during their recovery and I don't think you can help them moping around like this."_

Olkar's four eyes narrowed at the Ghost, " _I am not-"_

" _You are outside, alone, thinking about the conditions of your littermates and your father."_ This caused the Vandal to go silent, " _and not to mention that you're being all gloomy. 'That' is moping."_

" _Oh be quiet,"_ Olkar huffed before he let out a sigh, " _but you are not lying."_

Their back parts turning back and forth, the Ghost blinked once before stating, " _Gather your thoughts for a moment, build up your confidence back, then head back inside and help your littermates. Who knows? They might need your words to get themselves back onto their feet."_

Olkar let out a snort, " _Yes, my older littermate well known for killing off Guardians singly handedly and my younger littermate who is known for being able to recon 'any' area, even where the Dark Ones lurk, unharmed need 'my' help."_

The small Ai's parts narrowed at this, " _So? Just because you have accomplished nothing that you can't aid your littermates? So what? They are still your blood family. And you three now only have each other now that your sire is gone."_

Olkar's shoulders drooped at the Ghost's words, " _I…I can't do it alone."_

" _Who says that you are going to be alone?"_

This caught the Vandal's attention, " _What?"_

" _I'm going to be with you during that entire period,"_ The Ghost stated, ruffling up their parts, " _and don't you dare try to stop me. You saved me from the Dark Ones. The least I can do is help you down this path."_

" _But…your Guardian…"_

" _Who says that I'm going to stop looking?"_ The Ghost gave the Vandal a blank stare, " _wherever you go, I'll keep my scanners up, but for now, I am 'your' Ghost.'"_

Momentarily silent, Olkar held up his hand again, once again the inviting the Ghost to snuggle into his palm, " _I am honored to have you at my side."_

The Ghost beamed up at him in response, " _If it was my choice I would have made you my Guardian but-"_

" _Let me guess, I lack the light?"_

" _Yes."_

Letting out an amused snort, Olkar slid off of his seat, lowering his hand slowly so that the Ghost hovered in the air, " _Does that mean I have the honor of giving you a name?"_

A laugh escaped the Ghost, " _Only if you have one in mind."_

This caused the Vandal to tilt their head curiously, their eyes narrowed in thought, " _Then how aboutl, Trikxas?"_

The Ghost paused, " _I recall you saying that Trikxas is your mother's name."_

Olkar blinked, " _Do you not like it?"_

" _No, no, no, it's just…"_ The Ghost hesitated, " _Why are you giving me the honor of your mother's name?"_

" _Because she always watched over me the best she could, and gave me words of wisdom when I needed it."_ The Vandal let out a low rumble as he added, " _when I look at you, you remind me a lot of her."_

The Eliksni's words caused the Ghost to reel back before their parts scrunched together. Flustered, the AI managed to stutter out, " _A-Alright then, Trikxas is my name."_ The Ghost's optic beamed at the Vandal, " _Shall we head inside the ship, Olkar?"_

An amused chuckle escaped the Vandal, " _Of course, Trikxas."_

Giving the Eliksni another smile, the Ghost glided over near his waist and wiggled their way back into his pack, hiding themselves from view before the Vandal started his way back towards the Ketch, passing the three conversing Guardians and Ixrsis.

Xxxxx

Is he crying?

It was hard for Ace to tell, but from the way their Guardian stared blankly into space with his shoulders shaking, his arms wrapped around his legs and his knees close to his chest, the Ghost can speculate.

"Ianos," The Ghost whispered, nudging themselves against the Guardian's helmet, "do you want to talk about it?"

Slowly but painfully, the Warlock turned their gaze onto the Ghost, his expression unreadable behind his darken visor. When the Ghost realized that they weren't going to get a response, Ace heaved out a sigh before gliding over to another door in the room, "Want me to get the shower started? Or how about a nice bath?"

Once again, the Ghost received no answer but a blank stare, causing Ace to heave out another sight.

"I'll get the room ready at least," Ace stated before turning around and gliding over to the door, letting out their scanner to get it open. Hearing the familiar sound of metal sliding against metal, Ace glanced up in time to see the door slide open, revealing the white room behind it. Gliding inside, Ace focused their attention on a panel on the wall, letting their scanner glide over the interface as they entered data. Moments later, vents clicked open around the room, mist billowing into the bathroom before Ace quickly headed over to another panel near the door. Letting their scanner over it as well, Ace waited until a thin sheet of arc energy flowed down the doorway, the Ghost letting out a satisfied bob at their work. Gliding through the sheet of harmless energy, Ace came to a pause near Ianos, "Come on, let's take a bath."

"I don't need one." Ianos blurted out and to anyone else, his words sounded cold and bitter. But for the Awoken's Ghost, they could hardly pick out the small shift of guilt riding in his words, causing the AI to heave out a sigh.

"Yes, covered in Fallen blood and dirt means you don't need to be cleaned." Ace muttered, nodding their head towards the darkened shades on the Warlock's armor, the vermillion blood long ago have dried and turned black, "Come on, Matt didn't make this bathroom for you just to let it go to waste."

It was then Ace hard Ianos murmur under his breath but the Warlock slid himself out of his bed and headed towards the bathroom, unhindered by the sheet of arc energy as he stepped in. The instant their Guardian was inside the room, Ace turned and scanned the panel, letting the sliding door close behind them, "There, the mist shouldn't escape. Should be safe to remove the armor now."

Hearing only a quiet grunt as a response, Ace turned and tilted slightly as Ianos reached up towards his neck, leaning his head back to find the needed clasp before unhooking it, the familiar hissing sound emitting through the air soon after. Then using both hands, Ianos gently removed the helmet, took in a deep breath as if to test the effects of the mist in the room before leaning over and placing the piece of equipment in the sink. A sign and a reminder to the Guardian that it will need to be cleaned later. Hovering idly by, Ace continued to watch their Guardian strip down their coat and boots, revealing the black jumpsuit underneath, before Ianos reached up and found zipper on the side. No sooner had the Guardian unzipped the under suit that Ace winced. Scars, some faded and some still dark, riddled the Warlock's body as he slipped out from the article of clothing before tossing everything into the sink alongside his helmet, minus the bond which he delicately placed on the side.

True, it was rare for Guardians to gain scars. Any injury from natural sources are quickly healed by their Ghosts or any shots taken from fellow Guardians leave no mark. The only exception were attacks by the minions of darkness, mainly the Hive, the darkness seeping through the skin just enough to scar the soldiers of light. Claw marks made by the Thrall were numerous on the Guardian's body, followed by the large broad marks made by Knights, and then the burns from the dark magic of the Wizards and Acolytes. Although numerous, Ace's optic could not stray away from the ones on their Guardian's back, chest, and shoulders. Unlike the other ones, which were marks of lucky shots that were aimed to kill, the burn and slash marks were deliberate, the wounds too enclosed too each other to be have been a fluke and kept in a space where it was to harm but not enough to kill.

This caused Ace's mind to wander back to the time of the moon, when Ianos and five others were sent on a recon mission that went horribly wrong. The AI remembers the screeching of the Thrall followed by the wails of the Wizards as the dark tunnels were lit up with gunfire and light as the Guardians attempted to find a way out of the labyrinth. Counting only three of them, including Ianos, making their way to the entrance, Ace shook their head.

All three of them could have made it. All three of them could still be alive. If only the traitor hadn't-

"Ace."

Snapped out of their thoughts, the Ghost glanced up to see that Ianos had already ran a bath and had laid himself in the tub, the Awoken holding out a hand. Seeing the puzzled look on the Ghost's face, Ianos stated, "My daily dose."

"Oh, right." Gliding over, Ace let their scanner spread out on the Guardian's palm, letting the familiar shape of a syringe taking form in the Warlock's grasp. Watching their Guardian give them a nod of thanks, Ace watch expectantly as Ianos stuck the syringe into his arm and injecting the light into himself, "How much longer do you think you will have to do this?"

"If things go right, hopefully soon," Ianos sighed as he gently removed the needle from his skin and held it up for his Ghost to take, "don't want to be burdened by this any longer than needed."

Nodding their head in agreement, Ace watched as their Guardian dipped lower into the tub, letting their chin rest on the surface of the water as he closed his eyes.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Ianos asked suddenly, snapping Ace to attention, "back then, with Wesley?"

The Ghost's response was immediate, "Of course! The only reason why we're earning much scorn from it is because they don't know the whole story. If they knew what he had done to us, to Darian and you, they would have taken your side immediately." Ace then grumbled to themselves, "Only if my data hadn't been corrupted then I could have shown what he had done."

Shaking their core side to side, Ace immediately stated, "But let's not dwell on such depressive thoughts! Just relax and enjoy your bath alright? Don't let Leo's words make you falter."

Seeing their Guardian give them a subtle nod, Ace glided over and made themselves at home on a shelf nearby, snuggling into their perch before locking their optic onto the Veteran Guardian.

Xxxxx

Ixrsis was slowly growing frustrated with the three Vanguard standing before her. They were speaking too fast for her to understand and even then, her knowledge of the human tongue is limited to completely get a grasp on what they were trying to say. She tried motioning for them to summon their Ghosts, but then she slowly realized that they don't have sufficient data to translate after numerous puzzled looks. The female Captain was just glad that Angel appeared when he did, although concern still laced the Eliksni's voice as she asked, " _Pure One, you are feeling well, yes?"_

" _Need a bath but yeah, I am fine,"_ As if to prove his point, Angel brought his hand towards his chest, patting it slightly to give the sign it was healed, " _Where are the others?"_

Ixrsis nodded her head towards the Ketch, " _Safer inside the Ketch, yes. Wanted to make sure no else gets injured like you, no."_

Nodding his head in understanding, Ixrsis watched the Hunter glance back and forth between her and the three Vanguard, " _Let me guess, you need a translator?"_

Letting out a low rumble to signify a yes, Ixrsis saw Angel shake his head, " _I know, I know, I need to study more, but when you are a Captain, there is no such thing as 'free time', yes."_

" _I understand,"_ Although this didn't stop the chuckle escaping the younger Guardian, much to Ixrsis chagrin, " _Here, what do you want me to translate?"_

" _Tell them to speak slower,"_ Ixrsis immediately stated, " _and if you can, transfer the data from your Ghost to theirs in case there is another scenario where you are not present, yes?"_

" _I can do that, but it might take a while, transferring a complete data on a language that is practically nonexistent in the archives can take a bit."_

Nodding her head in thanks, Ixrsis watched as Angel turned and spoke to the Vanguard, listening to his words flow from his tongue as the three listened intently, the concentration clear on their faces as they considered the Hunter's words.

"Our apologies," It was the female Guardian who spoke as soon as Angel finished, "We did not mean disrespect, Lady Ixrsis. We had initially thought when you greeted us in our native tongue that you understood us. It didn't come across to the Vanguard your knowledge on our language were limited."

"No. Apology. Forgiven," Ixrsis rumbled before gesturing with her hand towards the three Vanguard, "Continue?"

"Oh right," The Exo of the group let out a cough, "Well, where we left off is that alongside needed back up, we'll also do trade. We'll give you the needed supplies you need as long as you do the same for us."

"Agreed. Fair." Ixrsis stated, crossing her arms as she added, "Ether? Included, yes?"

"Of course, such a valuable commodity won't be lost when it comes to your people," The final third Vanguard spoke up, his glowing blue eyes stern but understanding, "We'll offer high rewards to Guardians who will bring in the needed ingredients to make them."

Nodding her head in approval Ixrsis then held up two fingers, seeing the puzzled looks she received in response, "Two months."

"Two months? For repairs?" The female Vanguard narrowed her golden eyes, "For what reason?"

"Gather supplies. Heal. Proper contact." The female Captain then turned her four eyes towards Angel, "And proper goodbyes."

"I see." The Warlock then turned her attention towards her two companions, "What do you think, Cayde? Zavala?"

"Won't hurt to try," The Exo, Cayde, responded immediately, giving a shrug as he added, "Also might help dampen the tension, if you know what I mean?"

"Risky for the Eliksni but, as allies we shall let you stay," Zavala nodded his head in agreement before the Titan held out a hand, "So, are we at an agreement?"

Bobbing her head once, Ixrsis slowly reached out and clasped her hand around the Awoken's, giving a single firm shake to the Commander's hand before the group saluted each other, signaling the end of the meeting.

" _Two months, you sure that is a good idea?"_ Ixrsis turned her four eyes towards the Hunter, " _I understand why but the longer your stay, the more at risk that you are come to harm from the Guardians here."_

" _That is a risk I am willing to take,"_ Ixrsis rumbled, earning a puzzled look from the younger Guardian, " _Our people will not come to terms if we avoid each other. In order to properly form this alliance, we must be in each other's presence, willing or not, yes?"_

The female Captain then started taking steps towards the ruined Ketch, signaling to Angel to follow, " _Right now, I need to send a message to those outside. They must be worried. From what Axtris had told me, it has been several days since she and Oraxsis had been sent by the others to go to you for aid."_

" _How is she doing by the way? Axtris?"_

" _She is still in mourning,"_ Ixrsis noticed the slight flinch from the young Hunter near the corner of her eyes, " _Do not worry, we all have lost someone important in our lives. She still has her two littermates, they will guide her through her grief, yes."_

" _And how are they faring with Oraxsis' death?"_

" _They were fully mature when their mother died, what do you think, yes?"_

When the female Captain received nothing but silence as a response, Ixrsis let it hang in the air as they entered the Ketch, walking single file as they reached the narrow halls.

" _I have a question for you Ixrsis,"_ The female Captain heard Angel break the silence, " _Now that you have broken away from the Devils, do you have a name for your new house?"_

This caused Ixrsis to pause, " _…No, that never have crossed my mind, no."_

She then heard the Hunter snort behind, " _Well, before you leave, tell me the name of the House so I know what to call you guys, if you can think up of one within two months."_

" _Preposterous! I'll think up of a name before this month ends,"_ Ixrsis chuckled before she added, " _I will have to converse with the others on the name though, I do not want to pick a name that they will be displeased with, yes?"_

Angel gave the female Captain a nod of agreement, " _Of course, just make sure you prioritize everything alright? If you need anything, just come to me and I'll try and arrange something with the Vanguard to ensure you guys are comfortable."_

Ixrsis nodded once, " _I thank you, Pure One."_ She then shuffled into a larger room, rolling her shoulders before she turned to face the smaller Guardian, " _But for now."_ The Female Captain then nodded her head towards a couple of seats nearby, " _Shall we – what you humans call – catch up? It has been a while since we have last properly conversed, no?"_

It was then Ixrsis noticed the way the Hunter's shoulders lifted and the way he looked at her through his helmet seemed like he was beaming, " _Of course. Who wants to start first? We have a lot of catching up to do."_

Chuckling, Ixrsis took a seat as Angel sat next to her, " _How about you? You seem to have a lot of stories to tell."_

" _You mean crashing a ship into a Hangar or boring patrols through the Cosmodrome? Yes, I have 'plenty' to tell."_

The female Captain just laughed.

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

The two months passed too quickly for the younger Guardian, helping the Eliksni repair their ship and bringing them the needed supplies to make the trip back to the others. It took a lot of work but at least Angel had his entire Fireteam to help; even Ianos would come back from the Wilds with scrap to help process Ether. Now, with the last of the supplies loaded and the Eliksni pilots already strapped in to get the ship ready, Angel turned to the female Captain, crossing his arms as he gave the Eliksni a smile.

" _So, this is farewell?"_

Ixrsis nodded once, " _Yes, but there is something I must inform you."_

Angel raised a brow, " _Oh? What is it?"_

Letting out a small grunt, Ixrsis nodded her head towards the hatch, causing Angel to follow her gaze only to freeze. Slowly making their way down the boardwalk were Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris, the latter two helping their oldest littermate limp their way down.

" _Wait, aren't they going with you?"_ Angel turned his wide eyes at Ixrsis, " _Why are they coming out?"_

" _They were insistent on staying,"_ Ixrsis responded as she watched the three littermates make their way to some nearby crates, helping Vellak lean against it, " _To repay the debt of saving my life, yes."_

" _But-"_

" _And also at the promise of their sire."_ Angel paused at the female Captain's words, " _They made a vow with Oraxsis to protect you at all costs, since you are the beacon of this alliance. If you die, so does the treaty between my house and the Tower, no?"_

" _Right"_ Angel scratched the back of his head nervously, eyeing the three Eliksni as he watched his Fireteam approach them and from the way they were waving their hands and gesturing towards they Ketch, they also seemed surprised at the littermates' stay, " _what about Ether though? We don't' exactly have a Servitor on hand to process it."_

" _That's why I'm leaving one here,"_ Ixrsis stated, earning another gawking look from the Hunter, " _It is stored in the back of the Hangar where it is safe until it is moved. I had it modified to ensure that it gives the appropriate amount of Ether for the three of them."_ She then shrugged, " _Who knows, if they are willing, I might ration the Ether amount for all three of them to rank up to Captains, yes."_

" _I don't know,"_ Angel shifted nervously back and forth on his feet, " _I am not sure if it will be safe for them here, especially for Vellak. Yes, he is standing but I highly doubt he will properly regain the use of his legs. Walking maybe, but far from running."_

" _Who says that he will be fighting?"_ Ixrsis snorted, " _Vellak volunteered to be the scribe of our House. He will write down what occurs here and then send the file over to us when it is ready, yes."_ Ixrisis let out a low rumble as her lower arms reached down to the pack around her waist, rummaging through it until her hand clasp around an object. Slowly, she pulled it out and held it out to Angel, the Hunter giving her a puzzled look before reaching out and carefully picking up the item with both hands.

The object was circular in shape and silver in color, the light glinting off of the surface as he moved it around his hands, " _What is it?"_

" _A communicator,"_ Ixrsis responded, smiling at blank look she received from the young Guardian, " _just push in the code like so, yes."_ She then reached over and her fingers crawled around the circular surface, the Hunter then just noticing the circular designs imprinted on the shell, lighting up as the Eliksni's fingers passed over them. No sooner had the female Captain finished, the orb lit up and expanded, causing the Hunter to let out a yelp and held out his arms as far as he could as it lifted up into the air and a screen flashed into view.

Laughing at the startled look on Angel's face, Ixrsis simply held out a similar orb before performing the same action, the buttons lighting up before it too expanded and lit up a screen, " _Use this whenever you feel the need to speak to me. No matter where I am or what I am dong, I will do my best to respond, even if I am now the new Kell of the house, yes."_ She then reached out with her opposite hand and closed the orb, letting the screen flicker out of view.

Blinking once, Angel cupped his hands over the orb, gently snapping it shut for the screen to do the same as Ixrsis continued, " _I also gave_ The Vanguard _and Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris the same communicator, although I am not sure if they will use it as often as us, no?"_

Tearing his gaze away from his gift, Angel gave the female Captain a gentle smile, " _Thank you for the gift, Ixrsis."_

Holding up the object so Hope would materialize it into his inventory, Angel then crossed his arms as he asked, " _So, let me hear it?"_

Now it was Ixrsis' turn to give Angel a puzzled look, " _What do you mean?"_

" _The name?"_ Angel gave Ixrsis a blank stare at the bewildered expression on her face, " _The name of the house?"_

" _Oh!"_ The female Captain's eyes lit up as she laughed, the unfamiliar grating sound ringing through the Hangar catching the attention of everyone present, " _It took us a long while, but after much debate we have agreed upon a name."_ Her eyes glimmering, Ixrsis leaned in closer, as if she was telling a secret to the young Hunter, " _We have agreed on the name Spirits. House of Spirits."_

She then held up a hand to say there was more, " _Which brings up your next gift."_

Watching the female Eliksni reach into her pack once more, Angel gave Ixrsis an incredulous look before his green eyes widen as the familiar form of a cloak came into the Hunter's view, Ixrsis holding it up to help give Angel a better look. The cloak was white in color lined with silver, the familiar shape of feathered wings centered in the middle.

" _We were unsure of our new symbol would be as well,"_ Ixrsis stated as she tenderly folded the cloak before holding it out for Angel to take, " _But then we decided that it must be related to you, Pure One, for you not only saved our lives but gave us a second chance, yes."_

Feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest, Angel gratefully took the cloak in his own hands as Ixrsis continued, " _We looked up on the database on the meaning of your name but all we received were humans with wings on their back. So we decided to improvise, yes."_

Ixrsis grinned hopefully at the human Guardian, " _Well?"_

" _I am honored by your gift,"_ Angel glanced up at the female Eliksni, flashing her a smile, _"I shall treasure it greatly."_

Chuckling at the younger Guardian's words, Ixrsis reached over and wrapped her arms around the young Guardian, earning a puzzled look from Angel before he forced his body to relax, returning the embrace with one arm as he stated, _"I'll miss you."_

" _I as well."_

Feeling the female Eliksni's arms wrap tighter around him, Angel glanced up at the female Eliksni, " _This won't be the last time we'll see each other, you know?"_

" _Doesn't make it easy,"_ Ixrsis muttered as she finally unwrapped her arms from Angel before tapping the human Hunter playfully on the nose, " _But as always, when we do see each other again-"_

" _Well tell each other stories,"_ Angel beamed at her, earning another laugh from the female Captain, " _I seriously want to know how things turn out as you as Kell."_

Ixrsis let out a low rumble, " _Knowing me, chaos will ensue, yes?"_

Chuckling at the female Eliksni's words, Angel gave her a lighthearted wave as Ixrsis gave the young Guardian one final nod before turning around and walking up the hatch, the door slowly closing behind her as soon as she entered the ship. Moments later, the engines burned to life, slowly lifting the ship into the air before it launched, disappearing into the skies before anyone could compose themselves from the backlash.

Ensuring that the ship was indeed out of sight, Angel heaved out a sad sigh before turning his attention towards the crates, seeing Vellak gesturing with his hands as he spoke to the rest of the Fireteam. Seeing the older Vandal shift around his siblings, it was only then Angel noticed the new cloaks around their shoulders, the silver and white capes fluttering around them as they explained the situation to the rest of the team.

"Well, it is now or never, Angel," Hope stated as she hovered above her Guardian's shoulder, "We have to find a place for them to stay and plan out how to get enough Ether for them to live here."

"I know, I know," Angel heaved out another sigh, "It's just…I am worried. Sure, the other Guardians got use to them after two months but now that their ship is gone and there's only 'three' Eliksni, I just feel like they're easier targets now, especially for Vellak since he could hardly stand on his own."

Hearing his Ghost go silent, Angel's shoulders drooped in defeat, "Well, guess we still have a job to do."

Angel then heard Hope let out a snicker, "And Ixrsis claims that they are supposed to keep an eye on us. The irony."

Nodding his agreement with the words of his Ghost, Angel glanced down at the cloak in his hands before he nodded his head towards Hope, who immediately took the sign to glide around and let her scanner glide across Angel's dark green cloak. Feeling the familiar fabric leave his back, Angel then swung the silver and white cloak over his shoulders, effectively bringing the hood over his head before fastening it to his armor.

"How do I look?" He asked as Hope glided around.

"Flashy, as all Hunters are," The Ghost laughed, bringing another smile onto her Guardian's tan features.

"Come on, let's join the others and figure things out."

With his cloak billowing behind him with every step, Angel and Hope made their way towards their Fireteam and the three Eliksni.

* * *

 _I feel like the ending was rushed but I didn't know how to end it properly... Anyway, this is the end of the Fallen Rebel Arc (if you want to call it that). It took a lot longer than I had anticipated lol. Don't worry, this isn't the end of the story, more chapters to come C:_


	19. The City: Say Yes

**_Tormented_**

 ** _The City: Say Yes_**

* * *

"You want to do what now?"

Pluto's question caused the grin on Carina's silver features to broaden, the female Exo propping her elbows on the table before balancing her chin in her hands, "Shall I repeat? Let's go into the City. As a team! I mean, how often does the Vanguard gives us leave? A break!? We deserve it after all, with helping the Tower form an alliance with the House of Spirits."

The frown on Pluto's dark features did not leave, "And you want to go into the City? Why can't we just stay in the Tower and relax?"

"Cause there's nothing here!" Carina shifted her arms in front of her as she whined, leaning against the table as if to making significance of her words, "Yeah we have a bar downstairs but it's boring after you go there like thirty times." Her violet optics seem to brighten as she added, "I heard in the City that there are multiple of them and that there are actually shops that you can buy clothes. Clothes! Not armor! And there's places where you can actually sit down, order food, and eat! How can we not experience that!? Especially Angel and I, we're the youngest in this team and it would be nice to visit it at least once. Also, how long has it been since you last been to the City?"

"Years," Pluto grunted as he crossed his arms, "Doesn't mean that I am going into the City."

"Aw, come on," Carina grumbled as she laid her chin on the table, narrowing her violet optics at the older Exo, "I convinced the others to go."

"How about Ianos?"

"Except him."

Pluto let out a snicker at the female Exo's words, "If you can convince Ianos then I'll go."

"Do you know how 'hard' it is to convince Ianos to do 'anything'?" Carina lifted her head off of the table, "Remember the time we tried to convince him to go to the Moon? It was like talking to a brick wall."

"…You do know that the Moon is the most traumatizing place for him, right?"

"…Oh."

Heaving out a sigh as he shook his head, Pluto stood up from his seat, immediately causing Carina to perk up, "Hey, where are you going?"

"To meditate. And don't you dare judge. Deny it or not, you 'will' find yourself doing it in the future." Pluto then shrugged, "It helps." Turning around, Pluto waved his hand as he added, "Don't bother me unless you somehow convince Ianos to go."

Glaring daggers at the Hunter's back, Carina once again placed her chin back on the table, hearing Spears glide over her shoulders.

{" _You know, we can just go with Akiva, Angel, and Aleeza."}_ Carina heard her Ghost murmur, { _"It would be easier than trying to convince Mister Brick Wall to go out with us."}_

"When I say we go as a team, we go as a fucking 'team'." Carina pushed herself up from the table, a determined look in her violet optics, "Come on! Let's find Mister Fun Sponge."

{ _"This is, not going to end well, is it?"}_

Xxxxx

"She wants to do what now?"

"That's what I said," Pluto said with a snort, hearing the rustling of papers as Ianos put down the notes he held in his hands and onto the glass table in front of him, "She wants to go into the City. Says it will be a nice change compared to staying in the Tower on leave."

"She will say that until she actually enters the City." The Warlock shook his head as he crossed his arms, "And she somehow got the others to agree?"

Pluto shrugged, "From what I can tell, Akiva will go if they make a pit stop to the Market, Angel for the reason that he is curious on what the City is like, and Aleeza, well, not hard for Carina to convince her to say yes."

"And you're going?"

"Of course not," Pluto snorted, "I said that I will only go if she somehow convinces 'you' to go."

"…You do realize that she is going to keep badgering me until I say yes?"

"And knowing you, you won't be affected." A smirk flashed onto Pluto's dark features, "we're both safe as long as you don't say yes. At least, last long enough until our leave is over."

Rolling his eyes at the Exo Hunter, Ianos promptly picked the notes back up from the table, "I will keep saying no long after our leave is over. We are 'not' going to the City."

Hearing his old mentor snicker at his words, Ianos's eyes traced back over the words on the notes he held in his hands until a steady knock echoed from his door. Both Veteran Guardians snapping their heads towards the door, it was Pluto who gestured towards it with his hand, a smile on his dark features, "I believe that is for you."

"Hah, hah," Ianos tossed the papers back onto the table as the Hunter's chuckle echoed in his ears, pushing himself up from his seat and headed towards the door. Placing a hand on the panel next to it, Ianos opened his mouth to immediately respond with a 'no', only to immediately come to a halt as the door slid open, "…Traveler, Carina, what are you wearing?"

The Exo's violet optics giving him a puzzled look, Carina glanced down at the black tank top and knee length shorts followed by dark colored boots, "What? This is 'casual' clothes, right?"

"Too casual," Ianos blurted, hearing Pluto laugh in the background at his words, "And you're planning to go into the City like that?"

"Speaking of the City-"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish!"

" I am already well informed of your plan to venture to the City as a team," Ianos glared at the silver Exo, "and no matter what you say, my response will always be 'no'."

This earned the Warlock a huff from the female Titan, the latter crossing her arms and glowering at the Awoken, "Okay then what about Ace? Do they want to venture into the City? I mean wouldn't it get boring just reading over your Guardian's shoulders?"

"Not, exactly," The black and orange Ghost materialized into view, "Reviewing Missions and looking through data is actually quite relaxing, especially when you're not out in the field and being peppered by enemy fire."

"Aw c'mon," Carina pouted, her violet optics narrowing at the pair before she announced, "Fine, you win this round, but I 'will' get you to say yes, you hear?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is!" The Silver Exo fumed before she turned and stomped off, signaling to Ianos to lean his head out of the doorway and watch the female Titan turn the corner and out of sight.

"You just challenged a Titan." Ace whispered, their orange optic glancing back and forth between the empty hall and the Awoken Warlock, "A Titan. You do realize what you have just done?"

"It slipped off of my tongue before I could stop myself," Ianos muttered, letting out a sigh soon after.

It was then he felt a pat on his shoulder, signaling to the Warlock to glance up and lock onto the smiling features of his old mentor.

"Good luck," Was all Pluto said before he gave the Guardian another pat on the shoulder and headed down the hallway, most likely to his own quarters.

Watching the Hunter disappear from view, Ianos leaned back into his room and placed his hand on the panel, closing the door in front of him before he let out a groan, burying his face into his hands.

"You should probably prepare yourself," Ace's voice rang through the air, "Things could get physical later."

"…Fuck."

Xxxxx

"Wait, did he really say that?" Akiva asked, his golden eyes going wide at Carina's nod, "Oooh boy, with Ianos' age, I expected him to know better than to challenge a Titan, especially one with a temper like yours, Carina."

"Oh shut up."

Chuckling at the silver Exo, Akiva leaned back in the chair in the booth that the group was seated at; Carina and Aleeza seated across from him while as Angel had taken a seat next to the human Titan.

"Is challenging a Titan a taboo in the Tower?" Angel asked, his tan features scrunching together in bewilderment, "Or is it something harmless?"

"It's far from harmless, Angel," Aleeza responded, pushing away her drink into Carina's hand who took a sip from the glass, "True, a challenge is usually friendly duels, but for Titans, it can get out of hand."

"Like..?"

"For instance, I say you can't drive your Sparrow into a group of Fallen and kill them all before your Sparrow is unable to take any more hits and explodes underneath you." Akiva let out a slight hum as he added, "For Titans, they won't just take it to a group of Fallen, some will bring it into a Strike and try to complete it with nothing 'but' their Sparrow."

"…Are you speaking from experience, Akiva?"

"…Maybe."

Chuckling at the human Titan, Angel took a sip from his glass before he concluded, "So, Titan's just take everything to the extreme?"

Aleeza shrugged, "You can say that. Just be careful when accepting or challenging a Titan. Even if it has to do nothing with it, they can get physical."

"Yeah, I remember Pluto accepting a drinking game from a Titan years back," Akiva snorted, "In the end, a brawl happened in the bar and let's just say, the two didn't hold back."

"I think I heard about that," Aleeza hummed thoughtfully, "I heard rumors that Pluto had to be sent to the infirmary since the Titan somehow got their hands on him and snapped his back."

The Human Titan nodded, "And only reason that the Titan got away unscathed was because Pluto was too drunk to properly aim his knife to get into the cracks of the Titan's armor."

Staring wide eyed at the human Titan, Angel slowly turned his green hues towards Carina, "You're not going to do that to Ianos, are you?"

Angel's jaw dropped when Carina shrugged, "I want to go as a team and we 'will' go as a team, even if I have to drag his ass all the way into the City."

"That's guts," Akiva laughed, "Just be careful with Ianos though. He maybe a Warlock but if he has to get physical, he 'will' get physical and he won't hold back."

This only made the silver Exo let out a snicker, "So what? Another challenge for me to overcome."

Aleeza chuckled at her partner's words before giving the Exo a slight nudge to the side with her elbow, "Careful love, although I did not know him personally before our formation, there are plenty of rumors around that Ianos should not be taken lightly, even if it is a simple 'request' to head to the City."

"If he gave me a reason why he doesn't want to go the City, then maybe, just 'maybe', I will be more 'understanding', but even then, I am still dragging his stubborn ass into the City with us."

Laughing, Akiva held up his glass as he added, "Well, if you do somehow make Ianos say yes, show us what happened. I want to see what tactics you used to convince him to go."

"If of course, you can make him say yes before our leave is over," Angel reminded, earning a grumble from the female Exo, "which is, how many days?"

"A week?" Akiva glanced over to his twin who smiled and corrected, "five days."

"I'll get him to say yes in three," Carina huffed as she took another sip from the glass in her hands before passing it back to Aleeza, "and then both Ianos 'and' Pluto will have come with us."

"…Fuck it, did he say that you have to do this alone?"

Carina gave Akiva a puzzled look, "No? Not that I can recall anyway."

"Then count me in," The Human Titan grinned at the mischievous glint in the female Exo's optics.

"Count me in too, love," Aleeza smiled at the Exo Titan, "This should be interesting."

Glancing back and forth between his Fireteam, Angel slowly shrank into his seat as the three of them started formulating a plan. Although he is loyal to his teammates, something in the back of Angel's mind told him that joining in on their 'plan' wasn't a smart idea, especially when it comes to their somewhat second in command of their team. As such, Angel slipped underneath the booth and slipped out the door, leaving the rest of the Fireteam to their plot.

Xxxxx

Tracing his fingers over the remnants of his pulse rifle, Ianos let out a disapproving grunt as he leaned back in his seat, glaring at the weapon on his desk, "Tell me that this one is salvageable."

Letting their scans fade from the weapon, Ace glanced up at their Guardian, "Physically, maybe, for use, no."

"Well shit." Heaving out a sigh, Ianos leaned over and grumbled under his breathe, "Should I take the risk and bring it to Banshee?"

"You can but I highly doubt he'll be pleased to see a weapon in shambles, especially like this."

"He'll be in a better mood if I say he can do anything to it. No specifications."

"Careful, if you say that, he might just tinker with it and never give it back."

"I'll get it back eventually…which reminds me, do you remember him ever giving us back Apple of Discord?"

"…No."

"…Well, there's another reason to talk to Banshee." Pushing himself up from his seat, Ianos waited until Ace materialized the ruined weapon into their vault before heading to the door, sliding his hand onto the panel right before he stepped out into the hall.

"How long ago did we gave Banshee the weapon again?" Ace asked as they glided over their Guardian's shoulder, trying to read through the darken visor of Ianos' helmet.

"A couple of months?" Ianos sounded unsure, "Long enough that I hope he hasn't given it away to another Guardian."

Ace snorted at the Warlock's words, "Apple of Discord is just another pulse rifle, Ianos. And one that isn't held in high regard. Why are you so worried about the gun?"

No sooner had the Ghost finished speaking when the Awoken Guardian came to a sudden halt and turned his head to give Ace a blank stare.

"What?"

"…Did you seriously forgotten already?"

"What do you mean-"Realization hit the Ghost suddenly, causing their orange optic to go wide as Ace added, "I keep forgetting you're the sentimental type."

"Shut up," Ianos grumbled, earning a quiet chuckle from the Ghost as the pair continued onto their destination.

"Well, if Lyell was here, he'd appreciate the fact that you're taking care of his gun," Ace let out a melancholic hum, "still don't understand why he likes it so much."

Ianos shrugged, "I asked him the same question and he just gave me a huge grin and said, 'preference'."

When the Warlock sensed the quizzical look he earned from his Ghost, Ianos just let out another shrug, "I don't question what weapons others use. If it enables them to be a viable asset in missions, then I don't push on the matter."

"Noted," Ace's parts lifted upwards to reflect a smile, "So I am guessing that you are going to use the Apple of Discord once you turn in the Villainy for repairs?"

"No," Ianos immediately responded, earning another puzzled look from his Ghost, "I'm going to use Not Like the Others."

"Oooh~ A scout rifle then?" Ace's eyes beamed at their Guardian before their orange optic blinked once, "But wait, if you're going to use a scout rifle now, why not use Tlaloc? It's the best one you have, isn't it?" Spinning their back parts once, Ace continued, "It has been sitting in your Vault for a while. It would be nice to give it a spin, get some dust off of it."

Ianos hummed thoughtfully at his Ghost's words, "Maybe, but it requires a high accumulation of light to use it at its full potential."

"Still a good weapon even without accumulating light," Ace pointed out, "Also, didn't Neptune requested Banshee to craft that weapon for you? It would be a waste to let it sit and collect dust, especially since you haven't used it in how long?"

"Years." Ianos responded, earning a blank look from his Ghost, "What? We accumulated a lot of weapons over the years, it's hard to cycle through them."

"But Tlaloc is a weapon that Neptune shed blood for, remember?" Ace reminded, causing the Warlock to go silent, "True he requested Banshee to craft the weapon, but it was Neptune who went out and grabbed all the materials in order to make it happen. Remember the day he came to us with Tlaloc in hand?"

"How can I forget?" Ianos snapped, glaring at his Ghost through his helmet as he added, "He limped towards me covered in wounds and the blood of his enemies, saying that Banshee had literately just finished crafting the weapon." Shaking his head, Ianos continued, "I was furious at first, mainly for the reason that Neptune put himself in danger just to make a weapon for me but afterwards…" The Warlock sighed, "You're right, I should use Tlaloc more often."

Nodding their head in satisfaction, Ace glided around their Guardian's shoulders several times before gliding out of the Hallway and into the Plaza as the pair made it towards the exit, immediately gliding towards the blue and orange Exo. Slowing down his pace, Ianos watched Ace talking to Banshee, the Exo giving the Ghost a quizzical look before Ace materialize the ruined pulse rifle on his table, earning a nod of understanding afterwards.

"Greetings, Ianos."

Jumping from the voice behind him, Ianos spun around only to glower at familiar glowing eyes, "Fuck- Eris. Don't do that to me."

Letting a ghost of a smile tug at her lips, Eris let her fingers glide over the glowing orb in her hands before she spoke, "Old habits die hard."

The Awoken Warlock simply gave her a blank stare but said nothing else, instead opting to let her stand near him and fiddle with the rock she held in her hands.

"How are you feeling?"

Hearing Eris break the silence, Ianos fixated his gaze back onto the Ex-Hunter, watching her head tilt curiously at him, the darkness seeping from her eyes shifting positions to accommodate the change of angle.

"Has your Light adapted to the Darkness yet?"

Flinching at her question, Ianos remained quiet, keeping his eyes on the pale Hidden. Like him, Eris' light was contaminated with the Darkness, back when she and her Fireteam went to end Crota's life. But, unlike Ianos, her light adapted, convoluting both Light and Darkness into one, enabling Eris to keep her will and the adaptability to wield the dark magic of the Darkness. From what the Warlock was told, from Matt specifically, Eris is the first and only case where Light and Darkness adapted to one another and as such, Ianos was told not to get his hopes up when it comes to the Darkness within him. That doesn't stop Eris from believing that will change though.

"No changes yet." Ianos responded, noticing the visible scowl on the pale human's features, "The Darkness being a pain in the ass as always."

"Perhaps that will change," Eris murmured, clutching the stone she held in her hands closer to her chest, "give it a bit longer and perhaps someday, you won't need that system that Matheson had crafted for you."

Ianos couldn't help but let out a snort at the Ex-Guardian's words, "If Matt heard you calling him by that name he would throw a fit."

"Like I have stated previously, old habits die hard."

Letting a smile tug at the edges of his lips, Ianos' attention was diverted when he felt a gentle bump tap onto the side of his helmet, causing him to turn and stare into the orange optic of his Ghost.

"Dropped off the Villainy," Ace stated, gesturing back towards Banshee, "and recovered the Apple of Discord while I was at it. Apparently he had finished it the week of that we dropped it off but, well, you know how his memory is."

The Ghost then paused and fixed their gaze onto the pale form of the human behind their Guardian, "Oh, greetings, Eris. My apologies for not noticing you earlier." Gliding over to the Hidden woman, Ace dipped their head in greeting, "How have you been faring?"

"The voices have been quiet," Eris murmured, causing Ace to let out a blink, "able to rest better at night."

"That's progress," Ace beamed at the Ex-Hunter, "Like always, if you need assistance, just ask Ianos and I, we're more than happy to help."

Giving the pair a nod of thanks, Eris then turned and descended down the stairs, most likely to resume her spot near the entrance to the Hall of Guardians.

"Well she's getting more color on her," Ace turned and face their Guardian only to see the blank stare that they had received, "What?"

Earning a shake of the head, Ianos just motioned for Ace to follow, "Come on, let's get going before Carina-"

"Hey Ianos!"

Snapping his head towards the source of the new voice, Ianos couldn't help but let suspicion scratch at the back of his mind when the familiar white strands of the female Warlock came into view. With a smile visible on her grey features, Aleeza sauntered up to the male Awoken, dressed in dark violet shirt and denim pants, "What made you come out of your cave? Wanted a breath of fresh air?"

Rolling his eyes at his fellow Warlock's words, Ianos deadpanned, "I'm out just for weapon repairs. I was going to return to my room when you interrupted me."

A small 'oops' was the female Warlock's words followed by giggling, causing Ianos to let out a huff as he attempted to pass Aleeza, only for the latter to step into his way.

"Aw c'mon, why not stay out a little longer?" Aleeza teased, "Staying inside a cramped room isn't good for you. How about a nice stroll into the City?"

Almost immediately, Ianos' shoulders tensed up, his mind quickly putting the pieces together, "Don't tell me that you and the others are working together to get me to say 'yes'?"

The wicked grin on Aleeza's face was enough to answer the Warlock's question, "No."

Ianos once again to step around the female Awoken but once again, she easily stepped in his way. This time however, she pressed herself into his chest, her arms quickly wrapping around his neck, much to Ianos' discomfort. Feeling Aleeza lean her head close to his head, Ianos heard her whisper, "Come with us to the City, and I'll give you a night of fun. H'm? I'll make it all nice." The Veteran Guardian then felt one hand slide down his chest and moving slowly down to his lower body.

Irritated, Ianos quickly wrapped his hand around her wrist, startling Aleeza as he wrested her hands off of him, growling, "I am not 'interested' Aleeza." Then before Ianos could stop himself, he blurted out, "I do not 'swing' that way."

Realizing on what he had just said, Ianos came to a sudden halt, his orange hues going wide as the smile on Aleeza's face broadened into a grin, "Do not 'swing' that way? You prefer the company of men?"

Sputtering out words, Ianos found himself unable to properly form a sentence as he felt heat rise up to his face and hearing the female Warlock giggle at how suddenly flustered he was, Ianos quickly shoved her aside and moved past her, Aleeza too distracted with laughter to properly play her part.

"Oh, well, there goes that private information." Ianos heard Ace snicker, causing the Awoken Warlock to snap his head towards his Ghost and give them a glare behind his helmet.

However, no sooner had the Warlock taken a few steps away from Aleeza when a war cry erupted through the Plaza. Startled, Ianos twirled around only to feel an impact bombard him into his chest quickly followed by arms wrapping around his waist and arms and the feeling of himself being lifted into the air. Letting out a wheeze at the sudden loss of air, Ianos glanced downwards and glowered at the grinning face of Akiva.

"Akiva, put me down or-"

"Carina! Do it now!"

Eyes widening in surprise, Ianos then felt hands wriggle up his side and almost immediately, laughter erupted from his lips, feeling himself struggle in Akiva's strong arms as his body attempted to wiggle away.

"Oh! You were right! He is ticklish!"

"Fuck you!" Ianos managed to gasp out before laughter unwillingly left his lips, kicking his legs in a vain attempt to kick the human Titan away.

"Say yes and we'll stop!" The Awoken heard Carina state behind him, easily hearing the tone of victory in her voice, "Say yes and we'll stop! Say-"

A squeal of surprise soon emitted from the female Exo and not long after, he felt the hands leaves his side alongside Akiva's grip around his waist. Crumpling to the ground in a heap, Ianos took in several breaths before glancing upwards, "Pluto?"

"Saw you being double teamed," The Exo Hunter stated, nodding his head towards Carina and Akiva, the two pushing themselves back onto their feet with a groan after being thrown away from the Awoken Warlock, "Decided to help."

"Thank the Traveler," Ianos wheezed out as he pushed himself onto his feet, patting his chest to help slow his beating heart. He hadn't laughed like that in a while, willing or unwilling.

"Are you all that desperate to venture into the City?" Pluto asked, frowning at Aleeza, Akiva, and Carina, all three of which sheepishly smiled, "To stoop this low? Really? I expected bigger plans from you."

"…I don't know if you are trying to stop them or encouraging them to make me say yes," Ianos deadpanned, earning a snicker from the Exo Hunter.

The Warlock then turned his attention back towards the three, "Do you seriously want to go into the City that badly as a team?" When he received nods as a response, Ianos heaved out a sigh, "Give me on reason why I should say 'yes' so that Pluto and I will go with you?" Receiving silence as an only answer, the Warlock shook his head, "The City isn't going anywhere you three, and there will be plenty of opportunities to go. What I don't get is why you three can't just go on your own without Pluto and me."

"It's because the City may always be here but we won't."

All eyes turned towards a part of the Plaza, the familiar human Hunter coming into everyone's sights. Feeling all eyes on him, Angel's face flushed red before he managed to stutter out, "The reason why we wanted to go as a team is that who knows if any of us will live another day. I mean, yes we all have each other's backs but, there will come a day when one of us won't make it back." Momentarily pausing, Angel hesitated before he continued, "I thought at first we were all invisible, that with all of us working together, we'll even overcome death. But the mission with the House of Spirits, the mission where Oraxsis was killed, it made me realize the truth. There will come a day when all of us will die and we might not even see it coming. Who knows, the day when our leave is over, the very day we return to the field, one or even all of us won't make it back." The human Hunter heaved out a sad sigh, "It's dark, but all of you know that is the truth." Angel then focused his attention on Ianos and Pluto, "I know you two have lived many years before us and that perhaps the reason why you don't want to head into the City is because they remind you of painful memories but, if you do not mind, would you go into the City with us as a team? To spend at least one peaceful memory with each other before going back out in the field?"

Listening to Angel go silent, Ianos and Pluto quickly glanced at each other, reading each other's body language to gain a response. Ianos could already tell that Pluto was ready to go, from the way his lips formed a thin line in thought, his shoulders rigid, his body tense in preparation for the Warlock to respond with a 'no'. And in honesty, Ianos still wanted to. The City was a huge load of memories for Ianos, both pleasant and unpleasant, He remembers the days when he would go into the City with Neptune and Pluto's clan only to be berated for hanging around 'machines' by the civilians, eyeing the way they glared and spat at the Exo Guardians. Then he would remember the days when they would enter the bars and chat like as though the discrimination outside was nonexistent, the way they laughed and talked as if they were normal, not soldiers of the Light. Ianos also remembers the promises to his previous younger Fireteam members, some of them newborns, to bring them into the City once the mission they were currently given were accomplished, only to return with their Ghosts in his hands, grief in his eyes as he eyed the City he had promised so often before to visit. As a team.

A sigh escaped the Veteran Guardian, ignoring the look of surprise on their faces as he opened his mouth and responded, "When do you want to go? Later today or later during our leave?"

* * *

 _Just wanted to point out the character's sexualities_

 _Ianos: Asexual Homoromantic_

 _Pluto: Bisexual Panromantic_

 _Akiva: Pansexual Panromantic_

 _Aleeza: Pansexual Panromantic_

 _Carina: Pansexual Panromantic_

 _Angel: Heterosexual Biromantic_

 _Yeah...majority of them are pan fjdlkafjsdf. I like them to have 'variety' if you know what I mean? lol. Anyway, their venture into the City will continue in the next chapter. Enjoy :D  
_


	20. The City: Not Expected

**_Tormented_**

 ** _The City: Not Expected_**

 _Just a heads up, there's going to be a lot of strong language near the end of this chapter. So if you're sensitive to foul language, warning a head.  
_

 _ Lazyperson\- It took me a moment for your comment to make sense to me and just saying, I never laughed so hard in my life. I was surprised that my co-workers at work didn't hear me laugh during my break. _

* * *

"Wait, Ianos is that you?" Carina's violet eyes were wide as the two Veteran Guardians approached the group, "And Pluto? What the hell?"

Hearing the female Titan's words, Ianos just let out a simple grunt, fixing the clear respirator around his nose and lips, ensuring that it was secure before messing with the tubes wrapping around his shoulders, the latter of which were connected to canisters around his waist. Dressed in a dark azure long sleeved shirt and sweats, Ianos just crossed his arms at the looks he received from the younger Guardians.

"What? Did you expect us to go in full gear?" Pluto muttered, his red optics giving the others a blank stare.

Dressed in a sleeveless black hoodie and pants, Pluto had pulled up his hood as a casual attempt to mimic his cloak. What caught everyone's attention though, was the white metal plating around his eyes were missing and that his red optics glowed menacingly with them absent.

"Your eyes," Carina sputtered out before pointing at Ianos, "and how…"

"This was a proto-type of the life system imbued into my armor," Ianos responded, patting the canisters around his waist, "Wasn't stable enough to let me out in the field, but since we're heading into the City, it's stable enough."

When eyes turned towards Pluto, the Exo Hunter let out a shrug, "Nix convinced me, saying the trip the City would be more bearable if I removed my blindfold and let him fix my eyes." Shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, Pluto grumbled out, "Was against it but he insisted."

"Which brings up to this," Ianos rummaged his hand into his pockets before pulling out two black metallic bracelets, tossing them towards Angel and Carina as the latter two caught them, bewilderment clear in their eyes, "Since Ghosts can only materialize themselves into our gear, civilian clothes can be a problem, especially since you can never know when a call to arms will occur." He then held up his left arm, revealing the black bracelet around his wrist, "The Ghost Band is made of material similar to what they implemented into our helmets, enabling our Ghosts to travel with us out of sight."

"Wait, so Ace is in there?" Carina leaned in, squinting at the black band around Ianos' wrist as if to spot the black and orange Ghost within.

Immediately lowering his arm, Ianos nodded his head towards the familiar shape of Spears and Hope hovering next to their respective Guardians shoulders, "Since this is your first time venturing into the City, I highly doubt you two had one so I went through the trouble of procuring them for you." He then narrowed his eyes at the younger Guardians, "Make sure not to lose it or break it, they're not easy to get a hold of."

Hesitant at first, Carina glanced over to Aleeza, the latter letting out a smile before holding up her right arm to reveal the same black band around her wrist, culling the worry in the female Exo's mind. With this, Carina was the first of the two to slip on the black band, flexing her fingers as if to test the simple band out. Then holding up the bracelet to Spears, Carina couldn't help but jump when the small Ghost dispersed into simple matter and materialize into the band, causing the female Exo to lower her hand and gaze intensely at it.

Nodding his head in approval, Ianos watched Angel do the same for Hope before adding, "It's convenient but the only downside is that you won't be able to communicate with your Ghosts." Seeing the blank looks on the younger Guardians faces, Ianos quickly added, "However, they can still see, so if trouble stirs or anything of importance is sent to us, they will slip out to inform us."

"Hopefully that won't happen," Aleeza chirped, her crimson eyes beaming at her team, "No interruptions! No duties as a Guardian! Just us and fun!"

Returning the smile to her lover, Carina walked up and intertwined her fingers with the female Awoken's before turning her attention towards the others, "What are we waiting for? Where's our first stop?"

As her violet optics scanned the faces of her Fireteam for a response, Carina's gaze stopped upon the two Veteran Guardians, only to make a face of bewilderment. Their eyes were on Aleeza and Carina and their eyes were filled with a mix of emotions. Concern? Pity? Envy? Hope? The Female Exo wasn't sure but she wasn't as hell letting the pair ruin the trip to the City, especially with her lover in tow. Turning her violet optics towards the human Titan, Carina grinned as she asked, "So Akiva, you said you wanted to head to the Market right?"

Xxxxx

From the stories that the female Exo had heard from Akiva, she had expected the Market to be busy. And boy, was she not disappointed. The citizens of the City bustled about between each stall, even brushing past the Guardians as they ventured down the middle as they passed.

"Wow," Carina heard Angel whisper, watching the human Hunter's green eyes widen as they passed stall after stall.

"Pick whatever stall you like," Akiva grinned, "Just make sure to stay as a group though, it's easier to get separated here."

"What's that?" It was Angel's voice, the human male immediately heading over to a stall before anyone on the team could protest.

Turning her violet optics towards her lover's, Carina saw Aleeza eyes perk up as they caught sight of the stall that Angel had ran off to, as if she recognized what the merchant was selling.

"Cats!" Aleeza squealed as she pulled herself away from Carina's side, unlatching her fingers from the female Exo's, much to the disappointment of the latter.

Like the words of the female Warlock, cats locked in wire cages filled up the booth as the group approached, the Merchant already pulling out one commodity to show to Angel, the latter's green hues lighting up at the black and white fur ball.

"Interested?" The Merchant asked hopefully as Angel reached out and lifted the cat from the seller's grasp.

"No, we are not-" Ianos started, but paused as he saw the way Angel's eyes lit up as the cat lifted up its paws and pat the Hunter's nose, mewling and purring afterwards, "….how much?"

"I can pay!" Angel immediately butted in, but Ianos already held out the familiar plastic card, the Merchant holding up a slot for the Awoken man to slide it in. Waiting momentarily, Ianos only pulled it out when the light on the slot stopped blinking and lit up green, signaling the glimmer transferred successfully.

"Thank you for your purchase!" The Merchant beamed.

"I have glimmer," Angel grumbled as he held his new pet in his arms, earning a smirk from the male Warlock. "Alright, do you have five thousand glimmer on you?"

It was then red faded onto Angel's features before grumbling under his breath silently, answering Ianos' question.

"Unless you have the money, don't spend it on useless things," The Warlock scolded, earning a pout from the younger Guardian, "save it up for gear and weapons when you get the chance. Trust me, it 'will' save your life."

Reluctantly nodding his head, Angel returned his attention to the cat in his arms, caressing it with one hand as it purred contently in his grasp.

"They have a white one!" It was Aleeza's voice, her crimson eyes beaming as she held up a white cat in her hands, "And it's mine now!"

"Two cats," Pluto let out a disapproving grunt, catching the attention of the male Warlock, "You don't like cats?"

"Oh, I don't mind them," The Exo Hunter responded, "But you have to remember, we're out on the field more than we are at the Tower." He nodded his head towards the other four, the latter of which were ogling over the two felines, even Akiva reached out and scratched the white cat under the chin, earning a content purr, "Who is going to take care of them while we're gone?"

Glancing back and forth between his old mentor and the younger Guardians, Ianos finally let out a shrug moments later, "Too late for now, the cats already have been purchased. We'll figure it out once we return to the Tower."

Watching the Exo Hunter grumble under his breathe, Ianos couldn't help but let out a smirk as the pair refocused their attention on the others, watching Akiva point out another stall and yelling out, "Fish!" before disappearing into the crowd.

"We're going to be here for a while," Pluto sighed, earning a quiet snort from the Awoken Warlock as they followed the younger Guardians.

Xxxxx

"That was fun!" Carina chirped as she held several small bags in her hands, the cat aptly named Snowflake curled around her shoulders asleep.

Giggling at her lover, Aleeza then tapped her on the side, immediately gaining the female Exo's attention, "Here's how to lighten your load a bit, love." Holding up one of the bags she had purchased, Aleeza lifted up her wrist with the Ghost Band and held up the bag to it. Almost immediately, the familiar particle effect flashed over the bag before it materialized into the band, earning a gawking look from the silver Exo.

"The band may prevent us from verbally communicating with our Ghosts," Aleeza explained as she watched Carina hold up her bangs to her bracelet, letting it materialize into her Vault, "But their functions still remain. Just make sure that they have what object you want into your inventory in sight and in close proximity to the band."

Giving Aleeza a thumbs up to signal she understood, Carina shook out her arms once they were free of the items she had purchased, glancing up at the others who had taken the lead in front of the pair, "So what should we do next?"

Turning his head slightly to acknowledge the female Exo's words, Angel let out a low hum, "Well, shall we check out one of the bars here?"

"No."

All eyes turned towards Pluto, his red optics narrowing at the younger Hunter's suggestion, "If we want a drink, we can head to the Tower for that."

"Aw, c'mon," Carina grumbled as she sped up her pace, squeezing herself between Pluto and Ianos, causing the latter to let out a grunt of annoyance, "Why not? We've already been to that bar at the Tower countless times. It would be nice to do something different."

"The alcohol here is cheap, tastes bland, and mostly water," Pluto retorted, "and trust me, you 'do not' want to try a bar here." It was then the Exo Hunter mumbled quietly to himself, the female Exo hardly catching the words 'racist assholes' under his breathe.

Raising a brow at the older Exo, Carina let out a shrug, "You said yourself it's been years since you last ventured into the City right? Why not try it now and see if anything changed?"

It was then Pluto focused his red optics towards the younger Exo, narrowing them at Carina before he heaved out a sigh, "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope!" Carina chirped, earning a groan from the older Exo.

"Stubborn," Pluto scowled, earning a giggle from the female Titan, "Fine, choose a bar that you're interested and we'll follow. However, we are leaving here before it gets dark."

"Huh? Why?" Carina pouted, her violet optics glaring at the Exo Hunter, "It's not like it's dangerous in the City at night."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Pluto muttered.

"Pfft, we're Guardians, we can take care of ourselves," Carina beamed, earning herself a blank look, "and who is going to attack a group of six? They'll be crazy if they think they can take on six of us at once."

"You'll be surprised," It was Ianos who spoke, his words barely heard under his breath but just enough to make the younger Guardians turn and give the male Awoken a puzzled look, "Stay after dark, and you'll see."

Fixating his glowing orange eyes at Pluto, the Exo Hunter's red optics scanned the pale azure features of his old student before he sighed, "Fine, we'll stay after dark. But stay together and stay out of trouble."

"Okay!"

"I'm serious, Carina," The female Exo blinked once at the Exo Hunter, "Keep yourself out of trouble."

Listening to those words, the Exo Titan would usually retort, claiming that she is a Guardian and she is a proud Titan of the soldiers of light. But the way his words were filled with legitimate concern and when Carina glanced into his red optics, they were filled with worry, his gaze expectantly waiting for her to listen to his words. Slowly realizing the seriousness in the older Exo's tone, Carina let out a nod, "I promise." Her response made the older Exo a smile, his red optics soften and he nodded his head once.

"Are we allowed to take cats into bars by the way?" Angel's voice rang through the group of six, all eyes turning towards the white cat wrapped around Carina's shoulders and the black and white one, Faith, cuddled up in the younger Hunter's arms.

"Er, no," Akiva smiled sheepishly, watching the disappointment flash in the eyes of the younger Guardians, "But we can send them back to the Tower."

This earned the human Titan a puzzled look from Carina, "How?"

"Easy," Aleeza smiled as she held up her wrist, the black band lighting up before the familiar ruby and white Ghost materialized into the air, "Lena."

"Already on it," The female Ghost chirped as she glided over to the white feline, head butting it with her body. Almost immediately, the cat leaped off of the Exo Titan's shoulders and landed on the ground, hissing. Its blue eyes sighting Lena, the cat immediately pounced, causing the female Ghost to let out a startled yelp as she barely hovered out of reach. Waiting until the cat was back on all fours, Lena circled the feline several times before leading it through the feet of the crowd, yelling back, "I'll see you at the Tower!" Aleeza then waved to her Ghost before the female Warlock glanced up in time to see her twin do the same, the white and yellow Ghost materializing into the air, catching the black and white feline's attention and following after Lena with it in tow.

"There," Akiva beamed before turning his grin at the younger Exo, "So which bar catches your attention?"

Humming quietly to herself, Carina's violet eyes scanned around them as the group walked, the afternoon sun reflecting the sides of the buildings around them before her gaze stopped up dark building covered in neon lights, the words in a tongue she does not recognize, "That one."

This caught the attention of the rest of her team, although it was Angel who responded first, "The… Private Dark?"

Ianos turned and gave the young Hunter a blank stare, "Is there a language that you don't know?"

"I can't help it! It just comes to me naturally okay!"

"I…don't like the name," Pluto muttered, his gaze glaring at the sign as he scowled.

"Who cares about the name? Let's go and have fun!" Carina squealed as she reached over and grabbed Aleeza by the arm and dashed towards the building, her lover laughing all the while as they pushed pass the bustling crowd, "Slow down! We're going to leave the others behind!"

Responding with a laugh of her own, Carina's violet eyes paused upon a form at the entrance. From the dark suit and pale skin, the Exo concluded that the person is human and with that, she came to a slow halt. However as she opened her mouth to gain entrance, the gaze on the man's features darkened, his features scrunching together in disgust. This did not go unnoticed by the female Exo.

"Something the matter?" Carina asked and almost immediately, she felt Aleeza twist her arm out of her fingers before intertwining her hand with hers and then giving it a tight squeeze. This only furthered bewildered the female Exo.

"Yes, something is the matter," The man mumbled, his eyes glaring at Carina and then eyeing the other four of their team approach, "Machines aren't allowed."

Almost immediately, the Exo Titan flinched, the word 'machines' echoing through her mind before her features quickly shifted that to of a scowl, "Oh? And the reason?"

"I don't need to give a reason to a 'machine'," The Human hissed, earning another glare from the female Exo, "now get out of here, only 'humans' are allowed in this proximity."

"Says who?" Carina glared at the man, tearing her fingers away from her lover's grip and taking a step forward only to feel a hand clamp down on her shoulder. Startled, the female Exo glanced back, gazing into familiar red optics.

"It's not worth it," Pluto stated as he turned his gaze towards the man and gave him a glare, "let's find another place to find drinks."

The glare he received from the two Exo only made the man snort, "Right, and take your so called 'escorts' with you."

"What!?" Carina took another step forward, only to feel an arm wrap around her waist.

"Carina," Pluto hissed, his red optics narrowing at the younger Exo.

"You heard me right, take your prostitutes out of here," The man nodded his head towards Aleeza and Ianos, the latter of which scowled at the guard, "isn't all that Awoken are good for?"

"Hey now," It was Akiva who spoke, the human's pale features having long ago formed a frown, "no need to talk about our friends like that."

"Friends?" The man sneered, his eyes narrowing at the Exo and Awoken of the group, "You call these your 'friends'? Are you sure that you hadn't just hired them for the night? Don't tell me you have a kink with the machines?" The human laughed, failing to see the curled fists forming from the female Exo, "Honestly, I would prefer the company of those blue whores than machines."

Almost immediately, Pluto felt his grip being pulled forward, causing him to stumble and lose his grasp around the female Titan's waist. Optics going wide, Pluto turned and screamed out, "Carina!" but by the time he spoke out her name, Carina was already upon the man.

With a roar of rage, Carina's fist came into contact with the guard's face, hearing the familiar 'crunch' of her knuckles breaking through the man's jaw. Listening to the guard let out a cry of shock and pain, Carina watched the man crumble to the ground, his hands clasped over his jaw in a vain attempt to lessen the pain. Her fury still alight, Carina's violet optics seem to flare up in rage as she yelled, "Say that again you pathetic piece of shit!"

Before she could pummel the man however, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist once more, causing the female Exo to kick and scream in rage.

"Let me go!" She shouted, the City around her nothing but a blur as she started hitting the arm around her in a vain attempt to let them go, "Let me go so I can beat that man senseless!"

Moments later, she indeed felt the grip around her waist loosen, enabling the Exo Titan to land on her feet and twirl around to face the one who had interrupted her, her metallic features scrunched together in fury, "Why did you stop me!?"

"And let you kill that man?" Akiva responded back, raising both hands towards the direction where the pair had ran, the lights of the bar long out of their sight, "Can't let you do that, Carina."

"Why not?" The female Exo snarled, her violet optics glaring at the human Titan.

"Because that will give them a reason to kill you."

Snapping her attention over Akiva's shoulders, Carina recognized the four members of their team as they jogged into the alley that the two Titans had taken refuge, Angel glancing back out into the street before turning his green hues towards Pluto and nodding once to signal that they had not been followed.

"Kill me!?" Carina repeated, "Let them try that! It will give me a reason to kill them back!"

"Carina!" Pluto scowled at the younger Exo, earning a snarl from the Titan, "Do you think violence will be the answer? That humans will just suddenly accept us if we fight back with fists?"

"So what do you want us to do? Stay back and let them walk all over us!?" Carina fumed, her violet optics flaring with rage, "That didn't exactly help back in the Golden Age!"

Silence immediately loomed over the group after the female Exo's words, nothing but the sound of pedestrians walking and chatting beyond the alley entrance and Carina's heavy breathing, the Titan flexing her fingers as if she readying herself for a fight.

"W-What?" It was Pluto who broke the silence his red optics staring wide at the younger Exo, "Golden age? You remember?"

"Of course I do!" Carina spat, "How can I forget those times? The times when Exo were seen as 'tools' and 'machines' to the point where if they see you as obsolete, they'll just shut you down and replace you with a 'better model.'" A growl escaping her throat, the female Exo continued, "I was part of the group that were abandoned by our 'owners' and made peaceful protests in order to make the government recognize us as 'sentient'." She let out a sneer as she added, "We were unarmed, not even having a knife amongst us but that didn't stop the humans from shooting amongst the mass." Carina then let out a dry laugh, startling her team mates, "You would think that being made of wires and metal, that would stop the bullets right on our plating. But no, at every one of those rallies I watched Exo I called my friends drop one by one up until the rest of us would run for our lives." It was then her fists uncurled, her shoulders drooping as the look of rage turned somber, her violet optics dimming slightly, "We did nothing but stand there and take it. And look where it got us." She held up her arms as if to emphasize the City around them, "Things have not changed. Many humans still do not see Exo as sentient and those who do are mainly occupants of the Tower." Turning her gaze at the Exo Hunter, Carina mumbled, "After trying and being killed by standing around and taking it, what you expect me to do?"

Silence once more loomed over the alleyway, the look of defeat on the Exo Female's face clear on her silver features before Aleeza walked over and wrapped her arms around the Titan's shoulders, Carina reaching up and intertwining her one of her hands with the Awoken's in response, mumbling out a 'thanks' afterwards. Letting the pair have a moment, Pluto finally broke the silence, "I understand your feelings Carina, but killing that man in 'plain' view wasn't the wisest idea."

"I know," Carina mumbled, the rage in her optics fading, "but-"

"No buts," Pluto scolded, earning a pout from the younger Exo, "But next time, if you want to kill a person, make it less obvious."

This earned the Exo Hunter a blank stare from the others.

"…Are…Are you encouraging her to kill a civilian?" Ianos muttered, earning a shrug from Pluto.

"Who says I am?" The Exo deadpanned, earning a roll of the eyes from the male Warlock, "who says that you've done it if there are no witnesses?"

"…I am not going to ask but I feel like you have done this before."

Seeing a smirk form on the dark Exo's features, Ianos couldn't help but feel a chill run down the length of his spine. He may have known the Exo Hunter for years, but there are still somethings the Awoken Warlock knows he would rather be left in the dark.

Deciding the best time to change the subject, Angel chimed in, "So, I'm guessing we're not going to get drinks then?"

The human Hunter received a snort from the Exo, "After that little escapade? I think a walk through the City and back to the Tower would be suffice enough to end this little 'trip' don't you think?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Angel turned his green hues towards Carina who connected her violet optics with the Hunter. Keeping the gaze locked, the Exo Titan heaved out a sigh as she nodded, "Yeah, I think I had enough of the City for today."

"We'll try again another time," Aleeza comforted, letting a small smile form on her pale gray features, "and who knows, we'll find a better place than that shithole."

Letting out a small hum in response to her lover's words, Carina opted to brush her fingers with Aleeza's, waiting until Ianos and Pluto took the lead out of the alleyway, slowly leading the way back towards the Tower. The group of six walked in silence, with the Veteran Guardians taking the front followed by Carina and Aleeza and Akiva and Angel taking the back, the group couldn't help but warily glance into the crowds, half expecting the man that Carina had assaulted to suddenly appear with a group of his 'friends' at his side.

Xxxx

"Akiva," The human Titan turned his golden eyes towards the smaller Guardian, "The reason why Pluto and Ianos are so adamant on against going to the City…is it because of people like that man?"

Blinking once, Akiva glanced back and forth between their team mates in front and the young Hunter before heaving out a sigh and nodded once, "There is a reason why you see more humans in the outskirts of the City then the inner circle to the Tower." Seeing the bewildered stare in the eyes of the younger Guardian, the human Titan nodded his head towards the crowd, "Take a look and tell me you see a face of an Exo or an Awoken amongst the mass?"

Giving the Titan another puzzled stare, Angel turned his keen eyes towards the crowd and paused. His gaze recognized the natural dark and light colors of brown, blonde, black, and even red followed by the skin tones ranging from dark to pale amongst the bustling crowd of humans. But no matter how hard the Hunter tried, how often he scanned the faces that passed the group of Guardians, Angel failed to sight anything that is remotely similar of the hardened features of an Exo or the elegance of an Awoken.

"There is a reason why many Awoken and Exo Guardians avoid the City," Akiva stated, the Titan having long seen the human Hunter's eyes click with realization, "We maybe be near the brink of extinction, but humans are still stubborn as ever. Even the 'slightest' difference and majority of the population will look away in disgust and even scorn those who were considered 'different.'" Shaking his head, Akiva continued, "The first time I went into the City was with an Exo comrade of mine. We eventually had to return to the Tower on short notice after a group of drunken bastards thought it would be funny to toss their empty bottles at us."

"And Awoken?" Angel asked, pausing when he saw Akiva's pale features shift slightly, "Why would they treat them differently when they're technically descended from Humans?"

This earned the young Hunter a snort from the older Titan, "Like I have stated before, even the slightest difference can earn you the scorn of the entire human populace. Awoken are no different." Pausing on his words to heave out another sigh, Akiva continued, "Many earthborn Awoken turn to prostitution in order to make ends meet, unable to land proper jobs all because they look 'different', despite the knowledge that they were descended from humans. Thanks to their 'occupation', many people look down on them although it doesn't stop many for ordering their 'services' thanks to the fact that many view the Awoken as…'exotic'."

Flinching at the word, Angel perked up when Akiva continued, "Although, as you know, Guardians do not tolerate that kind of behavior and that leads to many Exo and Awoken living closer to the base of the Tower." The Titan then shrugged, "Of course we have some humans living there but that is because they are more 'tolerant' of their 'non-human' neighbors."

Contemplating on the words of the older Guardian, Angel shifted his gaze towards his teammates, watching Aleeza and Carina lean against each other for comfort while as Pluto and Ianos kept a steady but fast pace, their stiff posture clearly screaming of their eagerness to return to the safety of the Tower. Letting his mind wander, Angel shifted through his memories when they first left the Tower before entering the City. His mind recalls the small but clean housing lining the maze of streets, remembering the small wave of greetings he would receive from the civilians living amongst them; the gleaming metallic features of the Exo who would nod a greeting towards their way or families of Awoken who would look up from their family gathering and give them a smile as they passed. Having lived amongst the Guardians in the Tower for majority of his life, the young Hunter didn't think much of it, at least, not until now. But the sudden realization of the dwindling numbers of the presence of Exo and Awoken as they ventured further and further away from the Tower rang in the young Guardian's mind, recalling whispering and pointing of fingers from passerby, their eyes filling up with disgust at the presence of those 'different'. Even now, when Angel passed his gaze over the crowd of civilians around them, their eyes traced over the Exo and Awoken of the team with looks of disdain and then shock when they would witness the intimacy between Carina and Aleeza.

"It's getting dark," Akiva's voice snapped Angel out of his thoughts as the human Titan sighed, his golden eyes scanning the darkening skies, "We have to hurry."

This earned the older Guardian a puzzled look from the young Hunter, "Why? Is it harder to get back at night?"

It was then he noticed the discomfort in the Titan's posture, the way he shifted nervously back and forth on the heels of his feet as they walked, his golden eyes scanning the crowd around them frantically before he stated, "No, not really. It's just that many people start drinking during the late afternoon and when it gets dark they-"

A whistle echoed through the air, causing the group to pause and turn towards the source, their eyes stopping amongst a group of men, all leaning against the wall of a nearby bar, the smell of alcohol and smoke clear in the air. One of the men, possibly the one who had whistled, with dark hair and eyes, cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Why'd you stop? Continue with the show!"

Bewildered at the words of the man, Angel followed the drunken human's gaze only to pause on the familiar form of Aleeza and Carina. At first, Angel could see nothing wrong with the pair, but after his keen eyes scanned the two, realization clicked within the Hunter's mind when Carina gave the men a defiant glare before unwrapping Aleeza's arms from around her shoulders and then giving her lover a quick kiss on the back of her hand. This immediately caused the men to whoop and holler.

"That can't be all!" One of the men shouted, "Come on! Go at it! Take off your clothes and bang each other here!" As if to emphasize his words, the man thrusted his pelvis forward multiple times, earning a chorus of laughter from his friends.

"Let's go," Angel turned his eyes towards Ianos, the Awoken male glaring at the group of drunk men, "They aren't worth our time. They're too inebriated to even think clearly."

With that, the Guardians attempted to move away from the group of men. However, to astonishment to Angel, one of the men quickly dashed forward and latched their grasp around Aleeza's wrist, startling the female Awoken.

"Oh come on, don't leave yet," The man caressed Aleeza's hand, failing to notice the hint of fury in Carina's violet optics, "Come with us, leave your boring old group behind and we'll give you a good time."

It was then for the first time in Angel's short life, he saw Aleeza frown, a look of disgust glazing over her eyes as she tore her wrist away from the man's, "Sorry, I'll have to decline." In honesty, Angel couldn't help but let out a small chortle at the look of surprise on the man's face. Although it was short lived as the man once again reached out and grabbed Aleeza's wrist, although with a bit more force, "Oh don't be like that. I'll be gentle, I promise." The man then winked as if it would charm the Awoken Warlock, "You can even bring your ill friend over there to join in if you don't want to come alone." This earned the man another glare from the male Awoken. Once again, Aleeza tore her wrist away from the man's grasp and this time, the smile on the man's features immediately turned into a frown, "Hey there, I was being nice." He then grasped both of Aleeza's wrist, "You shouldn't decline when a man is being nice, especially for a whore like you." The man then attempted to pull the female Awoken towards his group of friends, all of whom were eagerly waiting for their friend's return. That was a mistake.

Almost immediately, a look of fury flashed over Aleeza's features before she quickly reached over with her left hand and clasped it down onto the man's hand on her right. Aleeza then dug her fingers under his palm and easily twisted it to her left, his hand making a complete one eighty, his joints quickly locking together from the action. Letting out a shriek of pain, the man quickly lost his grip around Aleeza's wrist as the female Awoken easily dragged the man back towards her group, the look of fury not once having left her pale features.

"That is not how you treat a lady," Aleeza snarled as she twisted his hand even further, earning another startled cry, "now get out of my sight before I-"

The female Awoken was unable to finish her sentence as she leaned back to dodge a punch from one of the man's' friends, the cries of the man she held in her grasp following soon afterwards as she accidentally dragged him along.

"You bitch!" The man's friend growled as he swung his other arm forward in another attempt for a punch.

To the surprise of everyone, Ianos took a step forward and easily blocked the blow with his arm, his glowing orange eyes glaring at the second man. Seeing the shocked look on the other man's face, Ianos stared silently into his eyes before he heaved out a sigh, his shoulders drooping in defeat, and his free hand curled into a fist, "Fuck it." Ianos then swung his fist into the other man's face, much to the shock of everyone present, the Warlock easily decking the taller man. "I'm not in the mood to deal with this 'quietly' tonight," Ianos muttered as he watched the drunk man groan on the floor before walking over and picking him up by the collar of the shirt, his orange hues clearly showing he was not quite done yet. It was then Angel spotted more of the men's friends approach. However, the rest of the team were ready.

One took a swing at Pluto, although being more sober and experience, the Exo Hunter easily side stepped the strike, causing the man to stumble over his feet. It was then Angel saw the Exo flatten out with one of his hands and struck fingers first into the man's side, flinching as the fingers sank in between the ribs and a scream emitted from the drunk. Another had attempted to take a stand with Akiva, although the pale human easily towered over the drunk man and with a simple glare, head butted the man, the latter crumpling onto the ground in a heap. Carina was next, the female all too willing to duck down from a punch and jumped up with her fist, her punch connecting with the man's jaw and sending him flying through the air and landing several feet away, unmoving. The last man, was rushing Angel, having already seen his friend's being taken down and most likely had the drunken mindset that rushing a Hunter was the best idea.

" _Sometimes in a fight, you have to use your own opponent's energy against them,"_ Pluto's words rang through the young Hunter's head, recalling the puzzled look he gave the older Guardian, " _Okay, let me give you an example. Rush me."_ The memory buzzing in the back of his mind, Angel shifted into position, posturing himself into a steady stance as the distance between him and the man closed. Right when the man was almost upon him, Angel lifted up his leg and held it out in front of him and almost immediately, the man collided into his foot, letting out a loud 'oof' as it came into contact with his abdomen. With training and experience, Angel stumbled back until he was balanced on his feet once more, watching the man in front of him groan and wheeze on the ground before him.

"That's all of them," Angel turned just in time to see Pluto pat his hands together before placing them on his waist, glancing around at the groaning and moaning men around them before adding, "Now let's get out of here before someone calls the authorities."

"Too late for that," Ianos muttered, causing Angel to snap his head in time to see uniformed figures clad in blue pushing past the crowd, the man in front walked with an air of authority as he approached the group. No sooner had the man glazed his eyes over the Exo and the Awoken of the group, Angel couldn't help but flinch at the sudden disgust and hate that flashed in the guard's eyes.

"Take them into custody," The man ordered, waving to his men and nodding his head towards Angel's team.

"Hey wait a minute," Akiva stepped in between the guards and his comrades, his taller stature easily towering over the men as he frowned, "Aren't you going to ask what happened? These men-"

"I've seen enough," The Head of the group glared at Akiva, "Now get out of the way so I can take these ingrates off the streets."

"Ingrates!?" Carina snarled, taking a step forward only to be stopped as Aleeza held her arm out in front, "Come here and I'll show you what an 'ingrate' can do!"

"Carina," Pluto hissed out a warning, his red optics narrowing at the younger Exo, reigning her into silence before the Exo Hunter turned his attention towards the enforcer, "Look, if we can just talk this out, we can all-"

"I do not have to talk to a 'machine'," The Head Enforcer snapped, causing Pluto pause on his words, "now what are you waiting for? Arrest them!"

Watching the men circle around Akiva, panic rose in the young Hunter's chest as he bit his lower lip, watching as the Exo and Awoken of the party take steps back in order to expand their distance from the authorities. Cursing in the back of his mind, Angel absentmindedly brushed his fingers against the band around his wrist, only to pause and glance down at it. Twirling it around his wrist several times, the young Hunter hesitated before gritting his teeth and held up his wrist, mentally praying his Ghost knew what he had in mind. Seeing the familiar white and red shape of Hope materializing into the air, Angel heaved out a sigh of relief when his Ghost shouted, "Attention Civilians! You are currently in interaction of a group of Guardians! Soldiers of the Light and protectors of the City! They were just out enjoying their day of leave when these men attacked them with no warning! Are you just going to let them be wrongfully arrested!? Especially since they risked their lives daily to ensure your safety within these walls!?" Angel then watched Hope turn her green optic towards the Head Enforcer, watching the latter flinch as the Ghost added, "That includes you, Mister Know-it-all."

Glancing over at the Head Enforcer, if Angel could laugh at how red the man's face turned he would have, but instead, the younger opted for a smirk as the man signaled for his men to follow and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the group of Guardians and the drunkards crawling back to the safety of their corner.

"Great thinking," Angel felt the taller Guardian give him a slap on the back, causing the former to let out a wheeze, "I don't know what would have been done if they got arrested."

"The Vanguard would not be pleased, that's for sure," Pluto muttered, although from the way he has his hand over his chest, he was relieved to be out of the situation, "Now, shall we head back to the Tower before we bump into any more trouble?"

Everyone nodding their heads in agreement, the group of Guardians ignored the gawking looks they received from the crowd as they brushed past them, all too eager to return to the safety of the Tower.

* * *

 _So first trip into the City didn't go as planned. But don't worry! They'll make more trips into the City later on in the story!_


	21. We're Going Where Now?

_**Tormented**_

 _ **We're Going Where Now?**_

 _Hey guys! I have decided to let other people's characters make an appearance in my story. However, they will only appear in one chapter and more than likely not play a big role in the story (more like they will have interactions with the main characters), just to be fair for everyone. If you want your character to make an appearance in the story, just send a private message to me with their information such as Name, Class, Race, Personality, etc. and I will figure out a point in the story where they will make an appearance.. Also, just because you send me your character quickly does not mean they will gain a part immediately. They might appear in the next chapter or the next three chapters so if your character gets accepted, don't expect them to make an appearance immediately. And a fair warning. Just because you sent me a character does not mean that they 'will' have an immediate role in the story. I'm sorry a head of time but I would rather the story go in a smooth line than diverting the path of the story just to somehow get your character in here. So again, apologies ahead of time.  
_

 _ Uryurkos \- Thanks so much for the reviews. It really helps me out on the plotholes and small details. Really appreciate it ^_^_

* * *

"Can't you reload any faster!?"

"Shut up!"

Gritting his teeth as he fumbled to shove a clip into his hand cannon, Angel heard the approaching footsteps of an opposing team member ringing in his ears, causing the human Hunter to speed up his pace and finally flipping his weapon to let the clip click inside. However, before the young Guardian could raise his hand cannon, he glanced up only to stare down the barrel of a scout rifle, making Angel trail the weapon up until his eyes paused at the darken visor of a Warlock. Gulping, Angel heard Hope whisper in his helmet, "I told you to reload after that last kill."

Watching the Warlock put pressure on their finger on the trigger, Angel squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the familiar pain of a bullet penetrating his forehead before being followed by the bliss of death. A gunshot rang through the air however, it was not of a silent 'click' of a scout rifle that Angel recognize, but an explosive round of a shotgun. Snapping his eyes open, Angel saw the familiar copper clad form of Carina cocking her shotgun once before firing once more at the reeling Warlock, sending them flying back and landing on their back, the familiar form of their Ghost materializing over them soon after.

Scrambling back onto his feet, Angel heard Carina let out a whistle, "It's been how many weeks now and what rank are you?"

"Shut up," Angel grumbled as he rubbed his arm, the familiar voice of Shaxx resounding through the Pantheon to signal their win, "I told you that I am not that great in the Crucible."

"That is why 'I' am going to keep dragging you in here until you are," Carina gave the Hunter a grin as the latter let out a groan before holding out their Ghosts in preparation for transmat.

Xxxxx

"Well, you have to admit, Angel was doing well up until the end," Akiva laughed, hearing his twin giggle beside him, "He shouldn't have wasted his sniper ammo trying to hit that one Hunter otherwise, I bet he would have been able to keep his distance with the Warlock."

Ianos, clad back in his black and azure armor plus the helmet, let out a shrug as he crossed his arms, "Some days go better than the others."

He then motioned for the others to follow as they walked towards the entrance to the Crucible, seeing the familiar white and copper forms of Angel and Carina as they materialized into view, stumbling over their feet before gaining enough balance to glance up and wave at their approaching team mates.

"Enjoyed the match?" Carina asked as she tilted her head to the side to press the button on the sealant to her helmet, the piece of equipment letting out a small hiss before she was able to take it off, tucking it underneath her arm before Angel followed suit with her action.

"Still room for improve-ack!" Quickly removing her elbow from Ianos' side, Aleeza ignored the scowl she received from the Veteran Guardian as she stated, "Oh very! It was enjoyable seeing you two work together in the beginning."

"Yeah, until that Titan forced us to split," Angel heaved out a sigh, his shoulders drooping as he added, "it was scary as fuck in there without Carina having my back."

"Hey, we had the other four members of our team," Carina pointed out, earning a blank stare from the Hunter, "Well, then again, they were off running around the map." Humming to herself momentarily, Carina then let out a nervous chuckle as she added, "It was sort of hard to keep track of them."

"Don't worry, Angel, you'll get the hang of running around the Crucible alone," Akiva gave the human Hunter a comforting smile, "Not everyone started out performing exceptional well, you know?"

"Say that to Carina," Angel muttered, nodding his head towards the silver Exo, who blinked at her fellow Guardian's words, "I don't perform well in the Crucible."

"Tell that to the ten kill streak you had in the last match." The Hunter pointed out, "or the time you wiped out the entire opposing team using your Fist of Havoc. Or when you rushed in and took out three of them with your shotgun. Or-"

"Okay, I get, I get," Carina let out a sheepish smile, "geez, I didn't get that way overnight you know?"

"Better than me at least," Angel mumbled, earning a chuckle from the female Exo before she gave him a slap on the back, causing the Hunter to let out a wheeze as Carina stated, "Hey, you never know. Spend as much time in the Crucible like me and you might surpass me in experience and skill."

"Pfft, like that day will ever happen," Doubt could be heard in the young Guardian's words but that didn't stop the soft smile that faded onto his tan features, "but thanks for the voice of confidence."

"You are welcome!" Carina beamed, propping her hands on her waist, earning a chuckle from the twins before Akiva nodded his head towards the exit of the room, "Come on, let's celebrate your victory. I recently went to the Market and bought some fish, my treat."

"That will have to wait."

Snapping their gaze towards the direction of the entrance, the familiar black and grey clad form of Pluto appeared through the door way, the Exo Hunter's blind optics piercing through his makeshift blindfold as he approached, Nix following not too far behind him.

"Ikora, Zavala, and Cayde wants us in the Hall," Pluto stated as the pair came to a pause near the Fireteam, "They have a mission for us." His words gained him puzzled looks.

"A Mission?" Aleeza asked, her crimson eyes narrowing in bewilderment, "A mission for us? I thought we were a 'freelance' group."

"I tried refusing, trust me," Pluto's head shifted slightly to the side, an action that the team recognized as the Hunter rolling his blind optics, "but since we're still living in the Tower, we're still, quote on quote, 'Under Vanguard jurisdiction and as such, must accept whatever mission we are given.'"

"Let me guess, Ikora said that?" Ianos also rolled his eyes when the blind Hunter nodded, "Well, we can't get out of this one."

"Huh?" Angel turned and gave the male Awoken a puzzled glance, "Why? Can't we just compromise with her? I thought Warlocks like to come to a conclusion where both parties can benefit."

The young Guardian's words caused Ianos to turn and give Angel a blank look, "Who told you that?"

"…Cayde.'

Pressing a hand onto his helmet where his forehead would be, Ianos shook his head before lowering his hand and stating, "Look, Cayde maybe the Hunter Vanguard, but don't take his words to heart. Half of them are nonsense anyway." The Warlock then let out a scoff as he crossed his arms, "Although he is right about Warlocks coming to a compromise but that's 'most'. Ikora is one of the few exempted from that statement."

"And you?" Carina piped in, giving the male Awoken a smile when he turned and gave her a scowl, "What? Just stating the truth."

"…Anyway, do you know what mission they want to send us on?" Ianos turned his attention back to Pluto.

It was then the blind Exo paused, his blank gaze staring deeply at the male Warlock. Letting the silence permeate between the team, something clicked inside of Ianos and the Awoken let out a whisper, "Don't tell me it's outside of Earth's atmosphere."

"It's outside of Earth's atmosphere," Pluto confirmed and almost immediately Ianos dropped his arms and twirled around, taking a few steps away before letting out a very vocal, "Fuck!", letting it resound through the room and catching the attention of Guardians nearby. Immediately glaring away any curious eyes, Ianos then twirled around to face his old mentor, "And you accepted?"

"Hey, like I have stated before, I attempted to refuse but Ikora pulled that 'Vanguard' bullshit on me," The blind Exo frowned, "Look, I know you are sensitive on leaving the Earth's atmosphere but it has been years, 'years' since you last left Earth. I think it's time to break through that shell and time to mend old wounds, Little Light."

"It's not about me!" Ianos retorted before jabbing his hands towards Angel and Carina, "It's about those two!"

"What?" Carina gave the Warlock a puzzled stare, "What do you mean?"

The Warlock narrowed his eyes at the female Exo, "You two are hardly a couple of years old and yet they are already sending you guys out of Earth's atmosphere."

"…So you're saying we're not capable of performing missions outside of Earth?" Carina asked, her violet optics narrowing at the male Warlock.

"I am not saying you are not capable." Ianos heaved out a sigh as he shook his head, placing a hand onto his helmet as he added, "I am saying that you two are not ready."

Hearing his words, Carina couldn't help but let rage overtake her senses and the female Exo opened her mouth to argue when Ianos whisper, "You two are too young. It's too soon." It was barely audible but Carina's auditory sensors picked it up perfectly and the Exo Titan could hear the concern and fear waver in his voice. Truthfully, it took the silver Exo by surprise. True she has heard of Ianos' 'softer' side but seeing it for herself, the way he spoke as if the two were going to be sent off to a death sentence and spoke as if he had experienced it before.

{" _Considering his age, I expect he has."}_

Flinching at the sudden intrusion of Spears' voice, Carina turned her violet optics towards the violet and green Ghost, the latter of which hovered over her shoulder as he returned the gaze with a blink, { _"You have to remember Carina, Ianos had went through countless Fireteams. Imagine the age of some of those Guardians. Perhaps they would have been not much older than you. Now imagine being in Ianos' position, watching those who are practically Newborns compared to him die and unable to do anything to save them. Can you imagine his concern with you and Angel?"}_

Letting a frown form onto her metallic features, Carina couldn't help but let out a sigh of defeat, accepting the words of her Ghost as truth. Instead of the foul words she was going to use, she instead stated, "Angel and I will be fine, we have you guys, right?"

Immediately, all eyes turned towards the female Exo, all of which held suspicion and doubt, "What?"

Instead of response, silence permeated between the Guardians before Ianos locked eyes with the blind Exo's, "Do you know the location?"

A shrug was the Exo Hunter's answer, "They refused to give me more until we head to the Hall." He then nodded his head towards the exit of the room, "So, shall we get this over with? The sooner we get this mission over with, the sooner we can return to the Tower."

Giving the Hunter another blank stare, Ianos heaved out a sigh and nodded, signaling to the rest of the Fireteam to follow Pluto out of the room with the Warlock hesitantly trailing behind.

Xxxxx

"You know, the six of you should really should figure out a name for your Fireteam," Cayde hummed as the group entered the hall, earning a bewildered look, "Would be easier for us to call you guys instead of trying to find your frequency." He then cleared his throat, "Fireteam Put-Your-Name-Here come to the Hall of Guardians for a mission." Turning his turquoise eyes towards the Guardians, all he gained was silence and in response, he just shrugged, "Eh, tough audience."

Responding with a sigh at the Vanguard Hunter, Ikora shook her head slightly before turning her hazel eyes towards the group, "As you know, we have summoned you here for a mission." Turning her eyes towards Pluto, "A mission that you cannot refuse."

"And the reason?" Ianos blurted out, earning a scowl from Zavala.

"We need emissaries for the Reef," This caught everyone's attention, "True, we are currently on good terms but who knows for how much longer?"

"So we picked out your team to head to the Reef as emissaries and finalize a treaty between the Awoken and the Tower," Ikora added, "tell them we are willing to trade; supplies, troops, even information if we can come to an agreement."

"And what makes you think we can accomplish this?" Aleeza asked, her crimson eyes clearly showing doubt, "You know as well as I do that the Awoken aren't exactly trustful towards those who come from earth, specifically 'Guardians'."

"We have a solution for that," Ikora turned her golden gaze towards the male Awoken, "Isn't that right, Ianos?"

Startled, the Awoken Warlock took a couple of steps back before stuttering out, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Now don't play dumb with me, 'Black Death'" Ikora narrowed her eyes at the Warlock, the latter of which straightened out and returned the glare, "my informants were quite accurate when transferring information, and it is quite known amongst the Hidden that you were born on the Reef."

His body going rigid, Ianos' orange hues glowed menacingly behind his helmet as he let out a snarl, "That was private information. Where the hell did you learn that?"

A ghost of a smile passed over Ikora's dark features, "There is a reason why they are called 'The Hidden', Ianos."

Glaring at the female Warlock, Ianos reigned himself into silence, opting to wait until Cayde continued, "We had gained information that, although not a hive mind like the Vex, the Awoken born on the Reef have a deep empathetic link to each other, especially for the Royal house, which have rumors stating that they could even sense each other galaxies away."

"How and why is still a mystery but that is why we believe this team would be successful," Zavala added, "We believe that since Ianos was born on the Reef, his empathetic link to the Reefborn would give us a better chance to strengthen the bond between the Awoken and the Tower."

"Have you forgotten that I haven't been there in 'years'?" Ianos emphasized, his eyes still narrowed at the Vanguard, "Who knows if the link is still there? What if it doesn't work?"

"Then you still have to do everything you can to ensure the treaty is in place," Ikora deadpanned, earning another glare from the Awoken male, "empathetic link or not, this mission is still of high importance. Accomplish it any way you can without starting a war with the Awoken."

"Easier said than done," Pluto stated as he shook his head, but nonetheless asked, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible," Ikora stated, "Normally I would advise leaving now but since your stay in the Reef will be a while-"

"Wait, a while?" Carina's violet optics widen, "How long is a while?"

"As long as it takes to get that treaty finalized," This earned the female Warlock another gawking look from the female Exo, "which is why you have until the end of the day or tomorrow to gather the needed supplies and head to the Reef."

"It will be a long stay," Cayde added in, "So, at that time, come up a Fireteam name, alright?"

"Cayde." Zavala glowered at the Exo Hunter who shrugged and stated, "Hey, they've been a Fireteam close to two years now. It's about time they make a name for themselves."

Shaking his head at the Exo, Zavala turned his attention back towards the group of Guardians, "Until your safe return from the Reef, you are hereby dismissed." He then nodded his head once towards the Fireteam, "May the Light aid you."

Xxxxx

"Is Ianos going to be alright?"

Turning his blind eyes towards Akiva, Pluto's sensitive auditory sensors recognized the stomping footsteps of Ianos heading towards the Guardian Quarters, signaling the Warlock's frustration and anger.

"Just needs to let off some steam," Pluto responded, sensing Nix gliding over his shoulder, letting out his scanner to ensure the safety of his Guardian, "He is just more upset that the Vanguard figured out his 'little secret'."

"Why would he be upset over something like that?" It was Angel's voice, the curious Hunter lagging not far behind him.

Pluto just shrugged at the young Hunter's question, "Ianos likes to keep his private life, well, private. If he wants to share, he 'will' share. But if you find it through any other means, well, let's just say that Ianos can hold grudges. And I mean 'grudges'."

"So, that means that he is going to be upset at Ikora for a while then?" Carina's voice piped in, her question making Pluto respond with a nod, "What does he usually do when he holds a grudge?"

"Usually avoid you," Pluto replied, "or in extreme cases, make it known that he's upset. Mainly just throwing insults or toss you off the side of the Tower when he gets the chance." Letting out another shrug, the blind Exo added, "Since Ikora is the Warlock Vanguard and she spends majority of her time in the Hall, the best Ianos can do is the former. Unless he finds a way to get away with throwing Ikora off the side of the Tower."

"Pfft, I highly doubt it," Pluto could sense Carina roll her optics, "If what Ikora says is true about these 'Hidden', I bet they would catch Ianos in the act and stop him before he could even drag her to the rails."

"Touché" Pluto clicked his tongue in amusement at the younger Exo's words, "Well, then that means we have to keep our guard up during this mission as well."

This earned the Exo Hunter a bewildered look from Angel, "What do you mean?"

"If what Ikora says about these 'Hidden' being true, then they could be anywhere around us. Darkness, they could even be on the Reef for all we know."

"…Well shit." It was Akiva who commented this time, "Wonder what else Ikora knows about us."

"If she's smart, she would stop trying to gather intel on us," The blind Exo muttered, earning puzzled looks from the rest of the team, "True, she's able to gather intel from us but now that we know that they're watching us, I'll be on the lookout."

This earned the Hunter a snort from the Titan, "And nothing hardly ever escapes your 'sight'."

Letting a smile fade onto his dark features, Pluto let out a nod before turning his blind gaze towards Angel, "A trait that all Hunters need to learn." Sensing the younger Hunter's eyes on him, the Exo Hunter added, "If we get the chance, I'll teach you on the Reef." He then tapped the side of his eyes, as if to emphasize his next words, "It's mandatory for Hunters to have sharp senses. Who else is going to watch the back of the rest of the team if they miss even one enemy?"

"Us?" Angel response was more of a question than an answer but it was enough for the blind Exo.

"You should have seen Pluto back then," Akiva laughed, "It was rumored that if you see him in the Crucible, you better pray to the Traveler cause no matter what, he 'will' find you and take you down with a headshot."

"I remember hearing about that," Aleeza hummed, tapping the bottom of her chin as she added, "It has been said he led Fireteam Galaxy to multiple victories in Crucible matches before that fateful mission."

"Oh shush, stop highlighting a trait that is common in Hunters," Pluto frowned, earning a chorus of chuckles from the rest of the team, "all it takes is training and meditation and you'll be able to track anything in a matter of moments."

"Just spot the enemies for me and I'll mow them down," Carina piped in, slamming a fist into the palm of her hand for emphasis, earning a shake of the head from Pluto.

"You still have a lot to learn," Pluto muttered as he shook his head once more before making the decision to change the subject, "Alright, we're going to leave the Tower 'today', get this mission over with as soon as possible and hopefully, we'll be back home within a week at least, a month at most."

"That's still quite a while," Akiva pointed out as they entered the elevator to the apartments, the familiar sound of the metal doors scraping against the floor ringing in everyone's ears as they closed, "True, we're out in the field more often than the Tower but the Reef, well, that's a whole different story."

"Yeah," Carina nodded her head in agreement, "I mean, we're pretty much surrounded by a race that has a strong dislike towards us."

"May the Traveler help us all." Aleeza stated.

Xxxx

"You sure you are going to be alright?"

Turning around so his golden gaze locks onto aqua hues, Akiva let a comforting smile fade onto his pale features, "I told you, I have my team watching my back. I'll be fine."

"But you are heading to the Reef. 'The Reef'." Neve emphasized, worry clear in her blue eyes, "and I heard about their opinions on us Guardians and let's just say, they weren't very good ones."

"You worry too much," Akiva turned away from the table, signaling to Lex to pick up the last of his weapons before approaching the female Warlock, "It's just a simple mission of heading to the Reef as emissaries of the Tower to mark a treaty. Not much of a big deal."

"Unless if there's Awoken who are against it," Neve snapped, "Who knows, what if they try to assassinate you and the others? And since they're on the outermost edge of the Light what if you die and unable to resurrect, what if-"

A hand on her shoulder caused Neve to pause on her words, locking onto Akiva's golden hues once more as she watched the smile on his pale features fade into a more serious line, "Neve, I promised you the day when we agreed to unity that I would always return from missions. Alive." Cupping his hand onto his love's cheek, Akiva added, "I plan to keep it, no matter what. If the Awoken tries to kill me…" A wry smile formed from his lips, "Let's just say that it will be a different outcome than they expect."

At first quiet, a sigh finally escaped Neve as she leaned her head into the Titan's hand, reaching up and grasping it lightly in hers as she stated, "I know. I just cannot help but worry." She rubbed her cheek into Akiva's palm as she closed her eyes, "I just do not want to lose another I love."

Another smile faded onto the human Titan's lips however unlike before, this one was softer and held a lighter tone, enough that when Neve opened her eyes, she smiled. Leaning in, Akiva lifted his hand away from Neve's cheek, feeling her hands reluctantly unwind form his fingers as he pressed his lips against the female Warlock's bare forehead and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Do not worry. You are the reason why I come back from mission alive. Just to see your face, it is enough for me to fight on."

A chuckle escaped from Neve's lips as Akiva unwound his arms from her shoulders, gently clasping his hands on her shoulders as she glanced up at him, "There is also another reason why you should come back from this mission alive."

At first, Akiva's expression scrunched together in bewilderment before his eyes widen as Neve gently removed one of the hands from her shoulders and slid it down to her stomach, her aqua hues glancing up at him expectantly.

"Are you..?" Akiva breathed, placing his other hand onto the Warlock's stomach, as if to feel the forming life within.

"Three months," Neve smiled as she watched the Titan's gaze snap up, "I sensed the child's life the first month but I didn't want to form false hope so I waited and…" She reached up and tentatively pressed her fingers against Akiva's cheek, "We're going to be parents, Akiva." Tears formed in her eyes as she repeated, "Parents."

Feeling his heart beat rapidly in his chest, Akiva said nothing but instead pulled Neve in an embrace, letting out a shuddering breath as a smile formed on his pale features. "Parents," he whispered, feeling the edges of his vision blur as he buried his face into Neve's shoulders.

Xxxx

" _What do you mean we have to stay!?"_ Axtris fumed, her snarl even causing her older littermate to flinch, " _Why is Vellak able to go but not Olkar and I?"_

Listening to the female Eliksni's words, the human Hunter couldn't help but let out a groan. The three Eliksni have been living in the same quarters as the Guardian, although with their own separate rooms, courtesy of the Vanguard. Over past year, the three Vandals slowly tossed away the remnants of their armor back when they were aligned with the Devils, and with the help of Angel and the others, had equipped their own armor to suite their tastes.

The oldest of the siblings had long ago tossed away his heavy armor and have switch to cloth garments, the colors matching the cape draped over his shoulders to signify his link to the House of Spirits. Vellak's spine finally made a full recovery however, the Vandal has a permanent limp on his right side and has to walk around with the aid of a staff followed by constant pain to his back side if caught standing too long. Penitence for the lives of the Guardians he had taken, he claims.

Olkar had taken the liking to heavy set armor, deciding the way he recklessly charges into battle that the thicker pieces of armor was the best choice for him but that does not stop the Vandal from complaining how it slows him down. Nonetheless, Angel found the male Eliksni training in them, most likely to get his body use to the heavier armor set. The Ghost that follows him, Trikxas, still follows the Eliksni around, much to the shock of the surrounding Guardians whenever they pass, and always is at his side to defend him if any malevolent Guardian gets too close. Whenever Angel sees the two together, he could always sense the fondness the two held towards each other and wonders what will happen the day when Trikxas finally finds her Guardian.

Being a stealth Vandal, Axtris admired the leather workings of Hunter armor, how it is light enough to keep their movements silent but strong enough to stave off moderate attacks. As such, the female Eliksni had requested her armor to work in a similar fashion to that of a Hunter, with thin but sturdy cloth wrapped around her body but metal plating lining on her legs and arms as extra security. And from the way Angel watched her practice in the training fields, it had only made Axtris more agile and dangerous in combat, especially when she cloaked herself in stealth, Angel's keen eyes barely spotting the sparking edges along the female Eliksni's form.

With their gear equipped and finally comfortable enough to wonder around the Tower themselves, the three Vandals had taken it upon themselves to keep a close eye on the human Hunter. Although annoyed at first, Angel eventually found it comforting to know that he has someone to watch his back, especially since every Guardian present in the Tower knows of his background with the Eliksni. And many of them aren't too happy about it. But after much chatter with Pluto on their way up to their quarters in the elevator, Angel figured out that the Awoken aren't all too charmed with the Fallen as well and it clicked within the Hunter that although the three Vandals are willing to follow him to edge of the light, he's not comfortable in letting them stay with him in unfamiliar territory. As such, he thought it best to only bring Vellak along and to put Axtris and Olkar under the care of Fireteam Blaze, a situation that Axtris is not all too pleased about.

" _Because Vellak is the scribe for the House of Spirits,"_ Angel retorted, keeping his stature tall and confident. He had learned long ago that the posture was the best way to get Eliksni to take his words seriously, " _It only makes sense that he follows wherever I go and records what happens."_ The Hunter then paused, turning his green eyes towards the Vandal, who had taken a seat on one of the chairs in Angel's quarters, " _That is what House Scribes do right?"_

When Vellak nodded in confirmation to the human Hunter's words, Angel turned his attention back to the female Eliksni, " _See? There you go."_

" _But he doesn't follow you out to the Great Valley,"_ Axtris argued, " _or the Lost Shores. Or-"_

" _That is because they are all the same. Patrol. Clear, and Get out."_ Angel couldn't help but let a frown fade onto his tan features, " _I highly doubt a scribe will be willing to write down the same event over and over again."_

Letting out a low rumble, Axtris' posture slouched, turning her four eyes towards her littermate only for Olkar to let out a shrug, " _If Pure One says that we are not allowed to follow, then we are not allowed to follow. His words are final."_

Grumbling under her breathe, Axtris turned her gaze back onto Angel, " _But do you have to put us under the care of the Flames? Especially since the Angry One despises us."_

" _You mean_ Leo?" Angel asked, earning a nod as a response, " _That is why exactly I am placing you under the care of_ Fireteam Blaze. _Unlike most of the Guardians,_ Neve, Spirit, Ria, Jordan, _and_ Alyx _agree with the alliance between the Tower and the House of Spirits. And since_ Leo _is always constantly under their gaze, you two will be safe with them."_

Although doubt still lingered in the back of her mind, Axtris nodded glumly, complaining under her breath when she watched Angel turn his attention to Vellak, motioning for him to get up and help him get ready for their departure to the Reef together. As the pair slowly made their way out of the room, Axtris then felt a hand clamp down onto her shoulder, twisting her gaze and locking her eyes onto her brother, " _What?"_

A familiar chortling sound escaped the male Eliksni, confounding Axtris even further, " _What's is so funny, Olkar?"_

" _They believe we will follow their order flawlessly,"_ Olkar whispered, his words immediately catching the attention of his younger littermate, " _but just because we say yes does not mean we cannot follow."_

Letting the cogs turn in her mind, Axtirs couldn't help but let her mandibles lift into an Eliksni equivalent of a smile as she slowly understood the words of her brother, " _Oh, you are quite clever, Olkar."_

Xxxxx

Taking a reluctant step into the Hangar, Ianos couldn't help but heave out a sigh and not long after, he recognized the stirring movements of Ace inside his helmet, "Nervous returning home?"

"The Reef is 'not' my home," Ianos frowned, "Just because I was born there does not make it immediately my home." He nodded his head at the Hangar, "The Tower is my home now, and the Guardians here are my family, despite what they say."

"Aww, so you do care?"

Snapping his head around, Ianos couldn't help but let a scowl form onto his features as he recognized his Firetream entering the bay, his eyes focusing on Carina who had let a grin form onto her silver features. Although he couldn't help but let curiosity spark in the back of his mind as he recognized the limping form of Vellak trailing not too far behind them, "Why is Vellak here?"

"He's House Scribe of the House of Spirits," Angel immediately responded, group just coming to a slow halt in front of the Awoken Warlock, "He's here to record everything that occurs while we're up at the Reef."

"Hopefully things will go well," Pluto heaved out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head, "especially with the recent rumors coming from the Reef."

This caught the younger Hunter's attention, "Rumors? What rumors?"

"There was an…'incident' where many Awoken were found dead," Pluto responded, immediately earning everyone's attention to his words, "There's rumors that it was a fellow Guardian but there has been no fixed evidence yet to properly convict them."

"And they're sending us? A group of Guardians to the Reef where their mood has been soured by the deaths of their own that could have been possibly caused by a Guardian?" Carina asked, in which she received a nod as answer, "Oh alright, send us to our death sentence oh great Vanguard."

"It hasn't been proven that the deaths were caused by a Guardian," Akiva reminded, "Until they find fixed evidence, we can only speculate – and what the heck is that Hunter doing?" The Titan came to a sudden halt, catching everyone else on the team off-guard as they followed the golden gaze of the human Guardian.

From the red and blue shades of the armor, the dead giveaway of the Hunter was the hood pulled over his head as the Guardian paced back and forth in the Hangar. From the way he was wringing his hands and the occasional twitchy glance to his surroundings, the Guardian was nervous and on edge, proven by the point when he jumped at Akiva's words, "Hey buddy! You alright there?"

Now having caught his attention, the group have a better look on his features, grey plating with illuminated red optics, signifying him as an Exo. At first, no response came from the Hunter but after a long awkward pause, he finally responded, "No." Although a short and single response, it was enough to recognize the hint of static in his tone, as if his voice struggled to form simple words.

"Need some help then?" Aleeza piped in, taking slow steps towards the Hunter only to pause as he took several steps away from the female Warlock.

"No," He muttered, his red optics staring warily at the Guardians, nervously shifting back and forth on his feet, "Just waiting."

"Waiting?" Aleeza repeated, curiosity gleaming in her crimson eyes, "For what?"

The red, blue, and white clad Hunter nodded his head towards one section of the Hangar, "Ship."

Puzzled, all eyes turned towards on section of the bay only to pause as they stopped upon a black and gold ship parked there, placed among the others as if waiting for its Guardian to return.

"Then why not just leave?" Carina asked, giving the Hunter a bewildered look, "Shouldn't be too difficult right?"

That's when the Guardian's shoulders slumped, the look on his face defeated as he responded, "Lockdown."

"Lockdown?" Akiva gave the Guardian a puzzled stare, "Now why would you be on lockdown?"

Instead of immediately responding, the Exo Hunter just gave out a shrug before pacing once more although kept his wary gaze upon the group of Guardians.

"Ah, now I recognize him," All eyes turned to Pluto, barely catching glimpse of Nix disappearing from view.

"Recognize him?" Angel repeated, "You know him?"

Pluto shrugged, "You can say that. Heard of him. Mantic-64. Also called 'The Void Stalker'. He's known for two things. For using a Void arsenal, if of course the name doesn't give it away, and – "

"Being a servant of Darkness for a year before coming back." Ianos finished, his orange hues widening as the Exo Hunter came to a pause, "I heard of it but I didn't believe it."

"If you're still in doubt, you should see his Ghost," Pluto commented, "Although both of them are Soldiers of Light once more, there rumors that his Ghost's shell holds the remnant of darkness tainted in their light." The black and grey clad Hunter let out a shrug, "Although the corruption was cleansed enough that the Vanguard doesn't see it much of a threat, that doesn't stop them from keeping a close eye on Mantic."

"You…"

Snapping their attention back onto the grey Exo, the group couldn't help but jump when they found Mantic standing just mere inches away from them, his red optics staring intently at the male Warlock of the team. Reaching out with his fingers, Mantic brushed the tips against Ianos' helmet, earning a bewildered look from the Awoken before the Exo whispered, "The Darkness…"

Eyes going wide, Ianos took several steps back, feeling his back press into Pluto behind him at his attempt to widen the distance between him and Mantic, "What of it?"

Instead of responding immediately, the Exo tilted his head slightly, causing his hood to shift ever so slightly to reveal torn metal and exposed wires on the top of his head, earning audible gasps from the younger Guardians.

"Taken," Mantic finally responded, although this earned the Exo more bewildered looks, "Fight it and you will return."

"What?" Ianos questioned but it was too late, the Exo Hunter had already wondered off and continued his pace closer to the proximity to his ship, his wary gaze now off elsewhere.

"Well, he was interesting," Carina commented as she turned her violet optics back and forth between her team and Mantic, "a bit unnerving but interesting."

Letting out a short huff, Pluto turned his attention towards Ianos, "If the rumors are true, that Mantic was able to return from the Darkness, then there is hope for you yet, Little Light."

Turning his gaze at his old mentor, Ianos couldn't help but let doubt scratch at the surface of his mind. But in the back, Ianos could barely feel that small glimpse, that small glimpse of hope growing at learning this new information. Just maybe, maybe, there will be a way to rid himself of the Darkness eating away at his light.

* * *

 _Just saying, Lost Valley is the Mothyards and the Lost Shores are the Forgotten Shores. I imagine that since Eliksni call the Traveler "The Great Machine", they also call the other areas differently. So I tried my best at the names but I think I lacked some imaginations with them lol. Anyways, yes, the armor and outfits Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris are suppose to represent the class that they 'would' have been if they were chosen to be Guardians. Like so:_

 _Vellak - Warlock_

 _Olkar - Titan_

 _Axtris - Hunter_

 _I don't know why but when I was writing out this chapter I was tempted and I caved lol._

 _Anyways, apologies to Mantic64 if your character is OOC. I did the best I can ._

 _Mantic-64 belongs to Mantic64._


	22. Fight Us

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Fight Us**_

 _Oh before I forget (again), each arc takes about a year after each other with the exception of the Awoken Arc: this one takes place only a few months after their trip into the City. So to clarify, the team has been together for two and a half years or around that estimation.  
_

* * *

"How about Wings of Freedom?"

"Nah too cheesy."

"Then, how about Fireteam Inferno?"

"That sounds way too similar to Fireteam Blaze. Don't want everyone to think that we're related to them somehow."

"Okay, how about Fireteam Merry?"

"Carina, no offense, but we're not exactly 'merry' Guardians."

Listening to Akiva, Aleeza, and Carina converse through the coms, Pluto struggled to turn his focus onto piloting ship around the incoming asteroids and broken ships, hearing Nix pipe in, "Five minutes until we reach the Reef." No sooner had his Ghost finished speaking when a chortle could be heard through the coms and Pluto couldn't help but let a sense of dread linger in the back of his mind.

"Fireteam Buttslayer!" The three Guardian's voices chimed in simultaneously, causing Pluto to groan and shake his head at the three's antics. None the less, the three of them burst into laughter and the Exo Hunter's keen audio interceptors caught onto the silent chuckle of Angel, the fourth member of their team joining in on the fun.

"Will you guys cut that out!?" Ianos voice roared through the coms, although this only caused the squeals of laughter to reverberate even more through the frequency, in which Pluto could hear the male Warlock groan in response.

"I hope you guys don't act like this when we reach the Reef," Pluto stated, hearing the laughter slowly quiet down at the Exo Hunter's serious tone, "Especially since most likely we are going to meet the Queen."

"Wait, we're going to meet the Queen?" Carina's voice rang through the coms, humming in curiosity as she waited for a response.

"What do you expect?" Ianos' voice echoed through the coms, "You think that we're going to make this treaty without meeting the heads of the Reef?"

"Hey, I'm only two and a half, I'm not as old as you two old geezers," Carina grumbled, Pluto hearing her huff as she continued, "Although I'm curious on how the Reef functions compared to the Tower."

"Don't know, never been there," Pluto let out a shrug, "come to think of it, I don't think the Reef opened up to the Tower until a little over a year ago."

"And they've been around for how long?" Carina asked, "Geez, no wonder they're so mysterious. Don't you know anything about them Aleeza?"

"Not necessarily," Pluto heard Aleeza hum through the coms, "I may have been out to the outermost edge of the Light but remember, I was a human first. And my transformation happened 'years' ago, I highly doubt any of the Awoken on the Reef were the ones I traveled into space with. Also, let's not forget I tried to 'go back' to Earth. I didn't stay around long to really take in everything you know?"

"Oh," Disappointment could be heard in the female Exo's voice, "How about you Ianos? Do you remember anything about the Reef?"

Silence permeated through the coms at first, letting the Guardians momentarily pilot as they waited for an answer from the male Warlock.

"No," Ianos finally responded followed by Carina's sputtering, as if the Warlock's answer was not what she was expecting, "But I thought you were a Reefborn!"

"I am but my memory isn't exactly 'up to date'.' Pluto could imagine the scowl on the male Awoken's features.

"Then how the hell you figured out you were a Reefborn?"

Silence once more overtook the coms, causing Pluto shift nervously in his seat as he waited for the Warlock to respond.

"As you know, memories sometimes come back to Guardians as time passes," Ianos started, causing everyone's attention to focus on the coms, "A memory came to me just several years prior to meeting you and the others." The Warlock paused, as if to hesitate on his next words, "A memory of my mother." Pluto heard Ianos pause once more, more than likely waiting for a response from the Exo Hunter. Letting the silence sink in, Pluto struggled to say something, to think up of words to respond to Ianos' words but only a blank flashed in his mind. Although, one thing is for certain, if Ianos is talking about something personal openly through the coms, he must have placed a great deal of trust on the team.

Ianos must have taken the silence from the Exo Hunter as a sign to continue, for Pluto heard the Warlock start once more through the frequency, "She looked like me except violet eyes and the way she smiled at me, I knew she was the one who brought me into this world." A quiet chuckle emitted through the coms, once more signaling to the rest of the Guardians to stay silent, "I must have been a child then as she lifted me up to let me look around my surroundings and everything seemed so large. And then her words, 'This is the Reef, my child. This is your home. This is 'our' new home'." A heave sigh then echoed through the coms, "And the memory just stops there. A blank slate."

"Damn," Pluto heard Akiva breath out, "That must have been frustrating, to grasp onto a memory but cannot remember anything else?"

A snort could be hard coming from the male Awoken, "Do you know what's more frustrating? Unable to remember your birth name."

"Wait, Ianos isn't your 'real' name?" It was Angel's voice who rang through the coms, "From the way you react naturally to it I thought…"

"I had hundreds of years to adjust to it," Ianos muttered, "and hundreds of years to relent that frustration."

"Uhm, Everyone," Nix brought Pluto out of the conversation, only to come to a halt as the Ghost's scans finally reached his optics.

Several ships, their parts long and thin for the rough terrain, surrounded the six Guardians, their violet colors barely visible against the foggy mist of the graveyard.

"Are you the Emissaries the Tower have sent to us?" The familiar accent of an Awoken echoed through the coms of the Fireteam's ships. Caught off guard from the transmission, Pluto at first, fumbled with the controls, feeling his ship slightly contort its flight pattern before finally pressing a familiar rounded button, "This is Pluto-99. I am here with my Fireteam consisting of five others as Emissaries of the Tower."

Releasing pressure on the button, Pluto shifted nervously as silence permeated through the coms before static brought it back to life, "Follow us and do not, I repeat, 'do not' change trajectory, understand?"

Muttering out a response, Pluto signaled to Nix to follow the Awoken ships as he leaned back in his seat, his fingers digging into the arm of his chair. From the Awoken's tone, they were just as unhappy of the Fireteam's trip to the Reef and from the way his ship rocked back and forth, they were certainly taking a rockier route than the Guardian's ship could handle. Heaving out a sigh, Pluto pressed his hands over his eyes as he grumbled, "This is going to be a rough mission."

Xxxxx

When the Awoken ships first approached them, a buzzing feeling had lingered in the back of Ianos' mind but the Warlock simply ignored it, thinking that perhaps the frequency of the nearby ships is what was causing it. But no sooner had Ianos landed from his transmat that the buzzing turned into whispers and he felt his mind being pulled in all directions, as if to tell him of the shifting and wondering Awoken hiding behind the walls. It was a strange feeling but uncomfortable to the point when Ianos tried to take a step forward, the world spun, causing the Warlock to stumble back as if to put more distance between himself and the Reefborn. It was then he felt a hand clamp down onto his shoulder.

"You alright?" It was Pluto and although his optics were unreadable, the slight waver of his tone was enough to tell Ianos that the Exo Hunter was concerned.

"I'm fine," Ianos responded as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the whispers linger in the back of his mind, "But damn it, this empathetic link."

"…What?"

"I can 'feel' them all around me," Ianos hissed, his orange hues glancing nearby as he watched the Awoken soldiers exit their ships, "I don't even see them but I already I sense a mass of Awoken on the other side of that door." He then paused, his brows scrunching together as he added, "it feels like hundreds of minds trying to intermingle into mine."

Seeing the Exo's face contort in concern, Pluto lowered his hand from Ianos' shoulder, "Is it too much?"

Ianos shook his head, "Not now. But we'll wait and see once we head deeper into the Reef." Seeing Pluto nod in agreement, the pair turned in time to see Angel leading Vellak down the ramp of his ship, the latter letting out a grunt as they finally reached the bottom.

"Is he going to be alright?" Akiva asked as he watched the Vandal lean on his staff, tapping his foot as if to test the ground.

"I'll be fine," Vellak quickly stated, turning his four eyes towards the Guardians, "Worry about this treaty of yours, and not me."

Hesitation could be seen in Angel's eyes as he let out a reluctant nod, "Alright but stay close, I heard the Reef aren't …'tolerant' of Eliksni."

Nodding his head in understanding, Vellak turned his eyes over the shoulders of the Guardians, only to let out a threatening click of his mandibles and letting out a low rumble soon after. Wanting to see the 'threat' that the Vandal saw, the group turned around only to pause when the soldiers from the ships approached them, their weapons in their hands.

"Follow us." One of the soldiers ordered however, Ianos stared at the rifles they held in their hands.

"Now is this any way to treat 'emissaries'?" Ianos blurted, turning his orange hues at the soldier, "Really now. How would you like us treating your 'emissaries' this way? Guns raised and with such a disrespectful tone." Tilting his head slightly, the Warlock not only sensed doubt lingering in the back of the soldier's mind, but also a small sense of dread, as if a child was going to get caught for a disapproving action, "Come now, don't tell me you're acting his way without the knowledge of the Royal House?"

Almost immediately, the dread clicked inside of the soldier, Ianos watching them flinch before giving the Warlock a glower. But reluctantly they signaled to the others to sheathe their weapons before following suit, "If you may follow me."

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Ianos followed the Awoken soldier, signaling to the rest of the team to follow as well.

"What the hell was that?" It was Carina who whispered, her violet optics narrowing at the Warlock behind her helmet, "It's like as though you knew exactly what to say."

"In a way yes," Ianos absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck once more, "Although I'm not sure if I am going to get use to this 'link', even during our stay."

"Wait, you mean that 'empathetic' bullshit is real?"

"What? You didn't believe it?"

"And you did?"

When Carina saw the glare she received from the Awoken Warlock, she sputtered, "I thought Warlocks were all about logic, not some nonsense like this."

Ianos gave the female Exo a blank stare behind his helmet, "Yes, because a race of machines that can travel through time, followed by a race of scavengers with four arms and a dependent on a substance to live, and a group of military like giants is more 'logical' than a race living out in space with an empathetic link."

Pausing at the Awoken's words, Carina grumbled under her breath as she raised her shoulders in defeat, letting a small smirk flash over Ianos' pale features before their group came to a pause; already made the short walk from their ships to the entrance. Giving the group a quick glare, the Awoken soldier walked up to the side of the door, the glowing yellow lights of the console familiar to everyone present. Watching the Awoken press on the buttons, Ianos turned his focus onto the door, his orange hues narrowing in order to gain every detail. The entrance were decorated with violet banners decorated with crests that Ianos believes to be the Royal House, just from the way the gold shapes were spaced even with the white. A fancy aesthetic that only one of Royal Blood would care for in Ianos' opinion. The surrounding area, their Hangar Ianos realizes, is void of any walls with the exception of the floor beneath them; the ships tethered with mechanical arms secured on the side to ensure that they do not float away into the misty violet graveyard just behind them.

"This way."

Snapping his attention back towards the Awoken soldier, Ianos orange hues watched the circular door in front of them hiss before it groaned open, signaling to its constant lack of use. Waiting until the group of Awoken soldiers led the way, the Guardians reluctantly and slowly followed. Almost instantly, the group were surrounded by buildings of metal and wires, the lines wrapping around each home as if it was holding them together. Lamps hung from the thin lines, lighting up the area in its eerie yellow glow and revealing metallic streets below. The residence of the streets were quick to pause on what they were doing; some gave the Guardians wary stares and even families shuffled their children inside to the safety of their home. Others were more open of their feelings, hate clear in their glowing eyes and some even shouted words of disgust, jabbing and shouting as they were forced back by the guards. However, the one who took the worst of it was Vellak, the Fallen letting out snarls at hands that tried to reach him, unconsciously moving to the middle of the group of Guardians to put some distance between himself and the angry Awoken just beyond the circle of Awoken soldiers.

"Well, this is a warm welcome," Ianos heard Akiva speak, watching the Titan glance at each visor of the team, as if to help lighten the mood. But from the way his voice slightly wavered and the way his hands flinched at his sides, Akiva was just as unnerved of it all like the others.

Flexing his hands near his sides, Ianos' tensed shoulders only relaxed when they approached another door – both sides guarded by female Awoken adored in violet and black – and stepped inside, the doors closing out the few Awoken angry at their arrival. Hearing Angel heave out a breathe he had been holding, Ianos focused his attention forward, his orange hues scanning the long walkway leading up to a circular platform in the large room. It was only when they approached, that strong emotions bubbled up from the back if Ianos' mind, causing the Guardian to flinch before focusing on the figure standing next to the chair, sensing the ire and annoyance of emotions from the dark clad Awoken. The Awoken was standing with his arms behind his back, shoulders squared and chin held high, a posture that the Warlock recognizes as a way to show themselves as superior and high in power to all those present. As soon as the Fireteam came to a pause just feet away from the foot of the throne, the Awoken man nodded his head towards the guards, a sign for them to salute and quietly make their exit.

"So, you are the 'emissaries' that the Tower had mentioned?" The man slowly made his way down the steps, his yellow eyes scanning each face before stating, "Honestly I was expecting more… unique." His gaze then paused upon Vellak, the latter of which let out a hiss at the Awoken's darken gaze, "And what is a Fallen doing here? I thought Guardians are not 'tolerant' of the scavengers."

"We're in a treaty with a newly formed house, the House of Spirits." Pluto responded, his posture straight and squared. He was not going to be intimidated by the Awoken man, "Vellak is their House Scribe. He is here to record everything that happens during our presence here."

An annoyed look flashed over the Awoken man's features, his yellow eyes narrowing at the Vandal and breathed out words that were barely audible. The only word that Ianos could pick out was 'Variks' but it was hardly distinct enough to the point where Ianos shrugged it off. If the Awoken man wasn't going to say anything on the subject, what right do they have to push? It was then Ianos felt eyes on him and the Awoken warlock turned and locked his gaze with the Awoken man's. Almost immediately, the emotions of suspicion and bewilderment flooded the back of the Awoken Guardian's mind, causing Ianos to jump before narrowing his eyes at the man. Deciding to spite him, Ianos surged out emotions of annoyance and to his surprise, the Awoken man's posture faltered slightly; eyes going wide and his shoulders jumped at the interaction. Nonetheless, the shock expression was gone just as quickly as it appeared, the Awoken man giving Ianos a dark look before focusing his attention back on Pluto.

"We'll tolerate his presence here as long as he… 'behaves'."

His words earned a glare from Angel, an action that Ianos could sense strongly enough that the Warlock turned in time to see the Hunter's hands curling into fists and his shoulders tensing. It was then Ianos spotted the Hunter's hand unconsciously edging towards the knife around his belt. Immediately, the Warlock reached over and tapped the back of his hand onto the Hunter's chest; hard enough to gain his attention but gentle enough as a warning. Seeing the human Hunter jump slightly, Ianos watched Angel turn his head and pause, his eyes unreadable behind the darken visor. Nonetheless, the Warlock saw Angel's shoulders slump, his hands lowering back to his sides before giving Ianos a single nod, a sign that he will shrug off the Awoken's words. For now.

Clambering of limbs scrambling across the floor caught everyone's attention and all eyes turned towards the throne only for everyone to pause as two familiar four armed humanoid figures rose up from the floor, spears held steady in their hands as they let out low growls.

"Eliksni? Here?" Ianos heard Angel breathe out before the snarling of Vellak followed, the Eliksni scribe guttering out words that the Warlock could not comprehend.

It was then Ianos saw movement from the corner of his eye, causing the Awoken Warlock to snap his head in time to witness Pluto unsheathe his knife, almost out of instinct as the Fallen in front of them raise their spears, their squared shoulders and crouching positions clearly a sign as malevolent. However, before Pluto could even rush towards the Fallen, Ianos saw a blur coming from the edge of his vision, and the next thing the Warlock knew, the Awoken man had unsheathed a knife of his own, pressing it against Pluto's neck which caused the Exo to pause mid-run.

"You don't want to do that here," The Awoken man snarled, pressing his knife even further against the Exo's throat, making Pluto lean his head back even further to avoid the pressure, "especially 'here'."

Ianos could sense the glare emitting behind the blind Exo's blindfold but nonetheless, the Warlock watched Pluto silently sheathe his knife around his belt, a sign for the Awoken man to take a step back and do the same.

"It is afraid of the Fallen."

Light footsteps echoed through the room as all eyes turned towards the new voice, coming to a pause as another Awoken entered the room. Unlike the Awoken man, the one who had entered is female, with white wild locks that hugged the sides of her cheeks, complimenting her pale gray skin and vibrant blue eyes. Dressed in black and violet leather, her stature was one of grace but power, casually striding towards the throne in the middle of the room before taking a seat. Crossing her legs together as she folded her hands in her lap, the Awoken female leaned against the side of the throne as she added, "It does not understand that these Fallen are 'mine'."

No sooner had the Awoken finished speaking that the two Fallen guards lowered their weapons, but their stature still rigid and firm; a sign that they were willing to protect and on guard.

 _The Queen,_ Ianos' orange hues scanned her pale features only to recoil as her glowing blue eyes sudden locked onto his, pressed back against the emotions that he sensed within. Curiosity filled the back of his head before being followed by doubt, feeling 'something' probe the back of his mind.

 _Nothing._

A voice rang throughout Ianos' mind, startling the Warlock even further as he felt the presence leave. It rang with a sense of superiority but also disappointment, as if it could not find what it had wanted. What they had wanted from Ianos? He had no clue but the sensation that the Queen was literately 'inside' his head was unnerving and the Awoken Warlock could not help but rub the back of his head nervously, breaking away eye contact from the Awoken Queen.

"My apologies, 'your Grace'." Pluto managed to mutter out as he bowed deeply, quickly lifting himself up as he added, "We are here as emissaries of the Tower. We hope to build a treaty with you to secure the alliance between the Guardians and the Awoken."

Lifting her eyes away from Ianos, the Queen instead locked her gaze upon the Exo Hunter before shifting her gaze towards the Awoken man, "Have we been informed of an 'alliance', brother?"

A ghost of a smile glazed over the male Awoken's features before responding, "No we have not." He shifted his gaze towards the Guardians, "All we asked for is the Guardian who took the lives of our civilians and guards a like." His features darken when he raised his hands towards Ianos' Fireteam, "But yet, the Tower sent 'you'. Here to beg instead of admitting the chaos that their so called 'Guardian' had caused."

"The reason is because the evidence against them were circumstantial," Pluto glowered at the Awoken male, "if we had fixed evidence we – "

"We had 'hundreds' of witness' all describing the same being." The Awoken man narrowed his yellow hues at the group of Guardians, "a being of machine with red eyes appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, its hands filled with violet light. It killed twenty seven of our people and injured many. We want that Guardian here for judgement."

"Mantic."

Ianos snapped his gaze towards Aleeza, the female Warlock shifting nervously back and forth on her feet as she wrung her hands together. At first, puzzled at the female Warlock's features, everything clicked into place at what she had meant. Mantic was the Guardian responsible for the attacks on the Reef. That would explain his ship lockdown.

If the Prince had heard the female Guardian utter the Exo's name, he either had chosen to ignore it or it had somehow escaped his ears. Ianos couldn't help but mentally hope that it was the latter.

"The Tower is currently pending his punishment if that is what you were asking for." Pluto snapped, Ianos watching the Exo flex his hands next to his sides. The Exo Hunter was itching to unsheathe his knife, "He is currently on ship lockdown and is unable to leave without Vanguard supervision."

"He killed 'our' guards. 'Our' people." The fury in the Prince's eyes was unmistakable, "We have the right to give him judgement, not your 'Vanguard'."

"It is out of 'our' hands," Pluto retorted before he heaved out a heavy sigh, "If you want him so badly then fight us for it."

There was a pause at the Exo Hunter's words, everyone in the room staring at the Hunter in silence. Finally, the Prince regained his composure, however, the dark look in his eyes never left, "Repeat that again, 'Guardian'."

The male Warlock saw Pluto flinch but nonetheless, Pluto kept his glare fixated onto the Royal Awoken, "Fight us. If we win, you'll leave the Guardian alone and we'll forge this treaty."

"And what makes you think we'll accept this… 'Challenge'?"

"By the rights of the Script," All eyes turned towards Ianos, the latter of which reeled back, as if surprised by his own words before adding, "Chapter Two: Verse 23: A challenge can be proclaimed between individuals to fight off the charges one had been labeled with. If the defendant wins, they are cleared of all charges. Although if the defendant loses, their punishment shall escalate and their charges shall be doubled."

The Prince's eyes narrowed at the Awoken Guardian, "How do you – "

"If the prosecution rejects the challenge from the defendant, not only are the charges cleared, but the prosecution are labeled as cowardice and in turn, are stripped of their rank and humiliated." Ianos interrupted, letting a ghost of a smile flash over his pale blue features at the deepening scowl on the Awoken Man's face, the latter emitting emotions of rage and shock, "Although this is from 'years' ago, so I am sure that these rules should not be applied to our 'present' era, correct?"

Silence was the Warlock's answer, although Ianos could see the Prince's hands curl into fists, shaking with rage.

"We still hold 'The Script' that our ancestors had written down years ago," The Awoken man finally stated, keeping his eyes narrowed at Ianos, "However, we have 'altered' some of the chapters to fit more of the 'modern' era." Keeping his head high, the Prince continued, "Instead of humiliation and loss of rank, the prosecution will instead 'owe' the defendant, a favor, if you can understand." Taking a few steps forward, only to come a few feet short of Ianos, the Prince easily towered over the Guardian as he added, "But if the defendant loses, they 'owe' us." Turning around to return his place at the bottom of the steps, the Awoken man turned and stated, "So what will you 'owe' us, Guardians, if 'you' lose?"

Pluto went silent, hesitation clear in his posture before he responded, "If you accept this challenge and prevail, not only we'll hand over the convicted Guardian to you, the Tower will also leave the Reef. You'll regain your isolationism. No more Guardians to bother you." Seeing the contemplation in the Prince's eyes, Pluto then added, "You can even pick out the procedures for it as well, if you want to fight on 'even' grounds."

The Awoken man's scowled at the Exo Hunter and opened his mouth to response to Pluto's words.

"Uldren." The Prince turned to face the Queen, "The Queen would like to consult with her brother."

Giving the Guardians one more scowl, the Awoken man reluctantly strode over to the Queen's throne before kneeling down, his head tilted to catch the words of his sister.

"What the fuck was that?" Ianos couldn't help but hiss out, his orange hues narrowing at his older mentor, "What the fuck did you just do? Didn't the Vanguard say not to start a fight with the Awoken?"

"… I honestly lost control there." Pluto admitted, earning a low groan from the Awoken Warlock, "Just didn't like the way he spoke about Mantic and the next thing I knew, my tongue slipped."

"Well, keep that tongue under control next time," Ianos gave the Exo a blank stare, "so that it wouldn't get us into trouble."

The Awoken Warlock's words earned him a blank stare himself, "Oh, and your sudden outburst wasn't so different? Where the hell did you learn that 'Rights of the Script' bullshit?"

"I don't know," Ianos admitted, "It just flashed into my head and I just blurted it out."

"…You two need to have better self-control," The two Veteran Guardians snapped their eyes towards Angel, giving the latter a glare as the human Hunter raised his hands in surrender.

"You done whispering amongst yourselves?" All eyes turned back towards the Prince, the Awoken having assumed his position back at the bottom of the steps.

"The Queen accepts your 'duel'," Uldren stated, earning a couple of bewildered stares from the group, "It will take place here, within the confines of the Royal citadel, and will occur several hours from now."

"Several hours?" Pluto's metallic features scrunched together behind his helmet, "That's not enough time for-"

"It is to make it 'fair' for our people," Uldren interrupted, his yellow eyes piercing through the Exo Hunter, "No Light. No weapons. No Armor. 'Nothing' but hand to hand combat. One of you versus three of ours."

"One versus three?!" It was Carina who blurted out the words, her posture going rigid as she added, "How is that fair!?"

"Fair?" The Prince repeated, the scowl on his face more prominent, "We heard of your 'exploits' Guardian. How all of you are capable of taking on armies. Alone. With nothing but your weapons and your light. We are simply making things more 'fair' for 'our' side of the fight, 'Guardian'."

The sneer from Uldren only seemed to further anger Carina but nonetheless, the female Exo kept quiet, her gaze glaring through the Prince as he added, "One of our Handmaidens will lead you to one of our quarters to prepare." A smug smile flashed over his features, "Good luck, Guardians."

Sensing the confidence and arrogance emitting from the Awoken Prince, Ianos turned his gaze towards the Queen, his curiosity causing him to reach out and probe at the female Awoken. To his surprise, he sensed no smugness or self-assurance, but instead sensed only amusement and interest. Puzzled, Ianos once again froze as the Queen's icy blue gaze fell upon him but to his surprise, the edges of her lips slowly lifted upwards as she tilted her head, amusement now clear in her gaze.

 _Good luck, Guardian._

The words echoed through his mind even when their escort appeared and led the Guardians and Vandal to their said quarters.

Xxxxx

"One versus three!? Do they want us to lose!?" Carina snarled as she paced back and forth in the room that the Guardians and Vellak had taken occupation in, the rest of the group watching the female Exo pace.

The room, although plain, was big enough to house all the Guardians – albeit momentarily- and to give them enough space to walk. There were no furniture but the floor was carpeted with the same emblem found all over the Royal fortress, giving Angel and Aleeza a place to sit as their group tried to come up with a plan. Everyone, minus Ianos and Pluto, had removed their helmets in a vain attempt to clear their heads while the lone Vandal of the team had taken a seat away from the others, pad in his hands as he typed down the earlier events.

"He did bring up a good point though," Akiva shrugged at the glare that Carina shot at her fellow Titan, "Guardians are known to take on armies and wipe them out single handedly."

"Only experienced ones," Pluto snapped, glowering at the Titan before shaking his head, "If that were the case with all Guardians, even the Newborns, then the deaths at Twilight Gap could have been avoided."

Carina blinked, "What do you mean?"

"As you know, many of us Veteran Guardians learned our skills through trial and error. We had no one to teach us." Ianos muttered, leaning against the wall behind him for support, "But our light was destructive enough that we acted like fools and thought that it was all we needed to push back our enemies."

"Battle of Twilight Gap changed all that," Pluto sighed, reaching up and pressing the button on the side of his neck, releasing the seams around his helmet before pushing back his hood and removing the headgear, "Our light was destructive yes, but without training and control, it not only killed our enemies but anyone in the proximity. About the third of the deaths were caused by friendly fire."

"Why else do you think Shaxx created the Crucible?" The Male Warlock pointed out, "He created it so that Guardians can hone their skills and avoid the chaos that was Twilight Gap."

"A lot of power can be convenient, but with no control, you are no more than a walking time bomb," Pluto shook his head before he sighed, "yes, we can take on armies, but we risk destroying ourselves with our own light." Letting out a scoff, Pluto held up his helmet, signaling to Nix to send out his scans and materialize the armor piece into the vault, giving the Exo Hunter the opportunity to lift his hood back over his head, shadowing his metallic features, "although in retrospect, I can understand why they banned our use of light in this duel against three people. More realistic than an 'army'." Shaking his head once more, Pluto turned his blind gaze to the rest of his team, "Which brings up the question: Who is going to take part in this duel?"

"Sorry, but I'm out," Aleeza chimed in, letting out a nervous smile as she added, "I may have some years of experience on me but I depend on my light too much when it comes to melee combat."

"But the dick in the City-"

"He was a civilian, we're facing Awoken soldiers here, Carina," Aleeza gave her love a smile as the female Exo let out a huff, "it's a completely different scenario."

"Does that include you Ianos?" Pluto asked, in which he earned a nod from the Warlock.

"Normally I wouldn't mind, but they said 'no armor'." Ianos let out a grunt as he traced his fingers over the tubes wrapped around his arms, "can't exactly fight when I'm in constant agony, don't you think?"

"So there goes our Warlocks," Angel sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "and I have to say, I'm out too. I'm only good in melee combat if I have my knife and since they said no weapons, well…"

"You're down for the count," Pluto's words caused Angel to smile sheepishly, "So that would leave Carina, Akiva, and I."

It was then, Akiva slowly raised his hand, "Yes?"

"I'm out as well," the human Titan announced, letting out a nervous smile at the looks he received from his team, "Look, I know they call me 'The Bull' in the Crucible but the only reason I'm able to do any of that stuff is because I catch my opponents off guard. Since this is a three on one fight and there's no way I can take all three of them by surprise, it's out of my league."

"Then let me do it!" Carina proclaimed, her violet optics flaring up with determination, "I can beat those stuck up assholes easily!"

"What? No," It was Pluto who spoke, a frown clear on his dark features as he added, "I know you are fully capable of fending for yourself, Carina, but you are fighting against 'three' Awoken Soldiers and – "

"You think you can get into that fight without Nix?" Pluto paused at the female Exo's words, "I know Prince – Stick – Up – His- Ass didn't really state anything about Ghosts but you know as well as I do that you can't see 'anything' without Nix and that helmet of yours. If you bring Nix into that arena, what makes you think that those soldiers won't go after him? I wouldn't be surprised if they knew about Ghosts being literately our 'lifeline'." Carina let out a scoff as she crossed her arms, "They seemed well informed about us after all."

"Carina does bring up a point," Angel stated, ignoring the glare he received from the Veteran Warlock, "Despite us knowing nothing about them, they know 'a lot' about us. They might use that to their advantage during the duel."

"'Pluto' is fully capable of fighting," Ianos retorted, earning a narrowed glance from the female Exo, "He is – "

"We'll let Carina handle this," Pluto's words were enough to reign Ianos into silence, the blind Exo turning his gaze towards the Warlock, "She is 'capable', after all."

Grumbling under his breathe, Ianos turned his gaze towards Exo Titan and paused on the wide splitting grin on Carina's silver features before she suddenly went rigid, clapping her ankles together before pressing her hand against her chest in a salute, "I'll do this team proud!"

Chuckling at the Exo Titan's attitude, Akiva brushed his fingers through his dark hair before stating, "So now that we got that out of the way, who is going to inform the Vanguard of our so called 'plan'?"

The room then went quiet, everyone's gaze fixated onto the human Titan who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. That's when a ragged sound echoed through the room, husky and somewhat chilling at the same time and loud enough to gain the attention of the Guardians. It was Vellak, the Vandal having looked up long enough from his pad to tune in onto the Fireteam's conversation.

"I am willing to bet they will not be pleased," Vellak mused.

Everyone in the room couldn't help but mentally agree with the crippled Vandal.

* * *

 _To clarify, this does take place 'after' the House of Wolves. Why are there still Fallen taking up residence in the Reef then? Cause I have a hard time believing that 'every single Fallen' up and left with Skolas. I want to believe at least a handful stayed loyal to the Queen.  
_


	23. The Link

**_Tormented_**

 ** _The Link_**

 _This was a struggle for me to write. Why? Cause I have a hard time writing fighting scenes lol.  
_

 _Thanks to AAA and fierwarlock999 for the reviews ^_^_

* * *

"You sure you got this?"

Turning her violet optics towards Akiva, Carina gave the human Titan a grinned, nodded once, and stated, "You guys sure have a lot of confidence in me."

Giving Carina a sheepish smile, the human Guardian placed both hands onto the female Exo's shoulders, "Remember what I taught you about openings? When you see one-"

"Take it." Seeing Akiva nod in satisfaction, Carina watched the Titan remove his hands from her shoulders before returning to the others, having taken their position on the sides of the raised platform that is to be the fighting ring.

Taking a deep breath, the female Exo glanced down at her hands, flexing her fingers to let the absence of her gloves set in. It was strange to Carina, to take part in a fight against 'experienced' soldiers dressed in nothing but the black under suit that she always wore underneath her armor. She doesn't even have her Ghost to give her signals on her opponent's location. At the thought of her Ghost, Carina glanced up to see the violet and green Ghost hovering next to her team, the AI letting out a 'You can do it!' in a tongue that only the female Exo can understand. Like Carina had predicted, the Ghosts were considered 'equipment' and as such, weren't allowed in the ring, much to the Exo's chagrin. But there was nothing she could do not but prepare herself and face her three opponents head on. And pray that she can control her temper to keep her Light in check.

"We're facing a machine?"

Going rigid at the familiar word, Carina twirled around and locked her violet optics onto a male Awoken, the latter of which glared at her with his vibrant blue eyes through his dark violet strands. Crossing his arms and keeping his glare on the female Exo, the Awoken man turned his focus onto one of his two female teammates, "Why are the Guardians letting their machine fight for them? Don't they have courage to face us?"

With long blonde strands braided and eyes of misty violet, the female Awoken shrugged, "Maybe the rumors of Guardians being 'brave' soldiers of the light were false?"

Listening to the conversation between the two Awoken, Carina couldn't help but rage set into her mind, flexing her fingers several time before she let out a yell, "Hey!" The two Awoken turned their attention to the silver Exo, "Don't forget I am a Guardian too!"

"You? A Guardian? A machine?" The Awoken man sneered, doubt clear in his eyes as he continued, "I don't believe you for a second. Get one of the 'real' Guardians to come up here and face us."

Her fingers twitching, Carina glared at the Awoken man before she let out a smirk, "What? Too scared to lose to a 'machine'?" She saw the dark haired Awoken flinch, "Come on, you meat bags should be able to take 'me' on, especially since you are part of the 'elite force' of Awoken." Carina tilted her head, a dark glint flashing in her optics as she added, "Or should I dare say, that is a lie and Awoken are nothing more than cowards themselves?"

The female Exo heard a smothered laugh emit from her team, followed by a cough to hide it; an action she recognizes as either Aleeza or Akiva. She will have to ask them later but for now, the look of rage flashing over the Awoken man's features was enough to gain the female Exo's attention, and Carina wish Spears had been close enough to snap the shot of the shock on the female Awoken's face.

"Why I ought to-" The Male Awoken's strides towards Carina were stopped as the third member of his team, another female stepped in, crossing her arms as she leaned on one leg, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Putting that machine in its place," The man attempted to move past the female Awoken, but Carina watched as the latter blocked his path, the look on her face filled with disapproval.

"The match hasn't even started," The woman stated, narrowing her eyes at the male Awoken, "You know as well as I do, Zev, that attacking any opponents 'before' the start of the duel counts as automatic disqualification." Letting her arms fall back onto her side, the Awoken female leaned in, letting her face stay mere centimeters away from Zev's features, "You are 'not' going to further shame the Awoken, understand?"

Muttering out and 'I understand', Zev gave Carina another glare before resuming his spot next to his other female teammate mate. Heaving out a sigh, the female Awoken turned and faced the female Exo, giving the latter a better view of her face. Like the rest of her race, the Awoken's features were a pale azure color followed by the constantly moving mist patterning her face. Magenta strands were pulled into a bun and only one vibrant blue eye was visible thanks to an eyepatch that covered her right eye; although to Carina, this only made her visible eye more vibrant in color.

"I apologize for Zev's and Talle's behavior," The female Awoken apologized as she gave a single apologetic nod, "They did not work with Guardians as I have." She then held out a hand, "Name is Petra Venj, Guardian. It is an honor to fight in a duel against you."

"Carina-23, or just Carina," The female Exo reached out, grasping her hand around Petra's before giving it a firm shake, "and same to you." Letting their grip unlatch from each other's, Carina couldn't help but cross her arms and ask, "So you worked alongside Guardians before?"

Petra nodded, "Back when the majority of the House of Wolves rebelled." The female Awoken then nodded her head in the direction of the Queen, signaling to the Fallen Guards constantly at her side, "Not all of them rebelled however, everyone was still surprised that the Queen let them stay." Petra then shrugged, "Although, I guess they knew that a Guardian will come and take them down eventually. I believe they would rather be alive than either face the Queen's wrath or facing down the end of a Guardian's gun."

Letting out a snort at the female Awoken's words, Carina nodded her head in agreement before turning her violet optics over Petra's shoulder, recognizing the dark clad figure of Uldren walking up the steps of the throne fitted at the top of the ring, more than likely to take his place next to the Queen.

"And that, my friend, signals the beginning of the match," Petra clicked her tongue before she turned and gave Carina a quick bow, one that the female Exo returned with one of her own, "Good luck, Guardian, against my comrades and I, we are not going to hold back."

Letting a smirk flash onto her features, Carina slammed a fist into her palm, "Same here, don't expect this to be an easy fight."

Flashing the female Exo a smile, Petra quickly resumed her position back with her team while as Carina took several steps back, distancing herself from the Awoken as Uldren spoke, "As everyone present in this room knows, this is a hand to hand combat only. No weapons. No armor. No 'light'. Only your body is required here. The duel will only end once either opponents are pushed out of the ring or when they surrender." He then held up a fist and Carina watched the other Awoken tense up, preparing themselves; the female Exo can only guess it is a gesture that the duel was to being. Carina's hunch was then proven correct when Uldren calmly lowered his hand and almost immediately, Zev rushed towards her and, although Carina hated to admit it, she was almost startled by his speed. Almost. Seeing the fist coming towards her abdomen, Carina shifted her weight, digging the heels of her feet into the concrete of the ring and then at the last moment, brought up the palm of her hand to block the hit. Seeing the man as lean and small in stature, Carina hadn't expected the hit to 'hurt', the Exo letting out a flinch as she felt the shock of the punch crawl up her arm and into her body. Nonetheless, she curled her hand around the man's fist, and seeing the wide eyed look on his face, he knew what was coming next.

"Bye," Carina chirped as she swung her free hand into the Awoken's face, recognizing the sickening 'crunch' of his nose collapsing into his face as her fist impacted, the force strong enough to send the man flying back and leaving behind a trail of glittering crimson in the air.

"Oooh," the Exo Guardian flinched as the Awoken man landed with a dull 'thud' just several feet away, clutching his bleeding nose and cursing profusely, "Okay, even I have to admit, that looked like it hurt." Recognizing the familiar rushing footsteps coming up to her left, Carina turned around only to feel an impact behind her, her head suddenly snapping forward and leaving her head ringing, literately. The sound of an elbow coming into contact with Carina's metal plating caused a single 'ring' to resonate through the air, startling everyone, even Carina, the female Exo coming to a pause at the sound. Standing momentarily still, the Exo Guardian quietly shifted her head back and forth to ensure its functionality before swinging it back into the attacker behind her, feeling the back of her head come into contact with bone; a sign that she had hit the jaw. Hearing the Awoken female curse behind her, Carina deduced the one in front of her was Petra and swung under hand in an attempt to catch the Awoken off guard. To the female Exo's surprise, Petra easily dodged Carina's punch and quickly brought her elbow down onto Carina's exposed arm. A cry escaped the female Guardian's mouth as a resonating 'crack' emitted through the room followed by the scraping of metal against metal as her forearm flopped down in an awkward angle, her silver planting bent to the point where exposed wires sparked from the tear.

"Had to cripple you somehow," Petra's voice rang through Carina's audio receptors, a bit more chipper than what the female Guardian is comfortable with. However, before the Exo could let out a retort, Carina felt arms wrap around her neck followed by legs wrapping around her abdomen and the sudden shift of weight on her back was enough to knock her off balance causing Carina to stumble around the ring.

"Fuck, what are you made out of?" Zev's voice rang familiar in Carina's receptors, "Did they stuff you with metals instead of proper machinations?"

Her violet optics narrowing, the corner of Carina's sight caught the familiar form of Talle rushing towards her and out of spite, the female Exo turned at the last second. The female Exo felt herself being knocked off of her feet followed by loud 'oof' from the male Awoken as they both landed on the ground. Hearing Zev wheeze, Carina took the opportunity to leap back onto her feet, gripped the Awoken man's arms with her good hand, and leaped back, praying that Talle was still present behind her. Her action turned fruitful, as she not sensed not one but two bodies underneath her as she landed, the two Awoken letting out cries of surprise and pain as she landed. Feeling Zev's grasp go slack around her neck, Carina quickly pushed herself back onto her feet, her good hand still on his arm, before turning around with a grunt and tossed as far as she could. The cry of shock was enough to let Carina let out a satisfied nod as the Awoken man's body flew through the air and landed outside of the ring, groaning afterwards.

"Pay attention!"

Turning around once more, Carina felt an impact on her chest, sending her sprawling onto her back. Letting out a grunt of annoyance, the female Exo rolled before pushing herself back onto her feet, just in time to see Petra pull Talle back onto her feet. Seeing the two women make eye contact, Carina couldn't help but let out a groan when both Awoken nodded once, "What is this? Awoken can read each other's minds too?"

Instead of gaining a response, the two Awoken women rushed her and out of reflex, Carina steadied herself, bringing up her good arm to prepare for an attack. Having expected both women to charge right in, Carina was took off guard when Talle instead reached over and grabbed Petra by the arm, the latter using the momentum and the extra arm length to quickly close the distance between them and the female Exo. In other words, Petra gave Carina a good solid kick to the face. Spinning once, Carina barely managed to get herself steady on her feet, her visual receptors static clearing up just enough for her to look up in time to see Talle and Petra on her. Both women brought up their knees into Carina's abdomen, causing the latter to let out a wheeze before she felt arms wrapped under hers and then, found the world upside down. Landing heavily on her back, Carina took in sharp breaths as her visual receptors flashed warning signs in her optics, specifying certain machinations damaged by the two Awoken's attack. Doing her best to ignore the flashing words in her vision, Carina let out a grunt as she rolled around and pushed herself back into a standing position, only to gain a punch to the face from Talle. Static filling her vision once more, Carina barely had the time to recompose herself when she felt another impact on her lower jaw and this time, a sickening 'screech' could be heard echoing through the room and it was only when the female Exo turned her head when she felt wires dangle where her jaw was located. Before she could even properly assess the damage, Carina felt another impact on her chest, sending the female Exo flying back and landing onto her back once more.

"Carina!" Aleeza's voice rang through the female Exo's receptors, causing the latter to blink repeatedly in a vain attempt to clear up the static filling up her vision, "Get up! Don't give up so easily!"

Hearing her lover's voice, Carina couldn't help but let out a groan from her ruined jaw, her dwindling power cells leaving her exhausted. How can she fight with only one arm, damaged systems and –

"If you win! I'll let you be top tonight!" That caught Carina's attention.

Lifting her head towards her team, Carina sighted the triumphant look on the female Awoken's face, her crimson eyes glittering as she gave the female Exo a thumb's up. The Guardian's twin stood next to her laughing hysterically, throwing his head back as his boisterous laughter echoed through the room, holding onto his chest as if to help him gain his balance. Angel on the other hand, gave the female Awoken a gawking look, his green eyes wide at her sudden outburst while as Pluto placed a hand onto his face and shook his head; Ianos possibly giving Aleeza a blank stare behind his visor.

"I'll do whatever you want!" Aleeza added in, earning a look of disbelief from the surrounding Awoken – Talle and Petra included- as she winked, "and I mean 'anything'."

 _Oooh boy,_ Carina quickly pushed herself back onto her feet, earning a jaw dropping look from the female Awoken.

"Don't tell me that actually inspired you?" It was Talle who spoke, the blonde Awoken's eyes going wide as Carina took an offensive stance, "You're kidding me."

Surprise flickered from Petra's lone eye before she let out an amused chuckle, holding her hands as she mused, "Well, I guess for her, it is enough to motivate her to continue." Carina watched Petra lick her lips, "and here I thought this duel was going to be disappointingly short."

Tilting her head to one side slightly, Carina then decided to charge towards the two Awoken, causing the pair to immediately go onto the defensive. Seeing this, Carina then leaped forward, quickly closing in the distance between herself and the two soldiers before bringing both legs forward. Right when she felt contact on the soles of her feet, she bent her knees and shoved her legs forward, feeling the pressure under her shove the unfortunate person back before the female Exo felt her back land on the floor of the ring. Quickly rolling back, Carina pushed herself up in time to see Talle fly off the edge of the ring, the latter letting out a curse as she pushed herself in a sitting position and narrowing her eyes at the female Exo. Ignoring the glare she received from the female Awoken, Carina turned her attention towards Petra, only to see a fist coming towards her face. A 'crack' echoed through the air as the Exo Titan's head snapped to one side, once again sending static and warning signs through her optics before she felt her legs slip out from underneath her, sending Carina sprawling to the floor once more. Dazed, Carina failed to notice the additional weight on her chest up until another fist slammed into her face, causing the static in her vision to finally go dark.

Xxxx

"Carina!"

Ianos watched Akiva wrap his arms around the waist of his twin, the Awoken female cursing loudly as the taller Titan easily lifted her up off the ground, giving the Warlock enough air space to kick in a vain attempt to get her brother's grasp off of her.

"This is bad," Ianos turned his gaze towards Pluto, startled to see the Exo Hunter biting down on his thumb, his metallic lips easily breaking through the metal plating on the appendage and leaving an obvious dent, "damn it, and I promised the Vanguard that we were going to win this match."

"Especially since losing means losing all progress with the Awoken," Ianos muttered under his breath, turning his attention back to Aleeza who was still spitting out curses, her crimson eyes flaring as they glared at the Awoken woman. Hearing metal scraping against the floor, Ianos turned his attention back towards the ring, only to pause when he saw the magenta hair Awoken lift up one of Carina's legs and – to Ianos' slight amusement- struggled to drag the unconscious Exo towards the edge of the ring.

"She's going to throw her out!" Angel's green hues widen as Petra grunted with each tug, slowly pulling the silver Exo closer to the edge, "Oh come on, Carina. Wake up! Don't lose so easily!"

Sensing the unease and panic emanating from his team, Ianos suddenly felt a tug at the back of his mind and without thinking, turned his attention towards the throne. There, standing next to the Queen, was the smug smile of Uldren, his yellow eyes beaming triumphantly as Petra made her way to the edge of the ring. Feeling the arrogance and confidence of the Awoken man, Ianos couldn't help but let annoyance crawl up the back of his mind, and as such turned his attention towards Petra.

 _I wonder._ Humming thoughtfully to himself, Ianos watched Petra come to a pause near the ring and attempted to step over Carina's unconscious form. Seeing the Awoken female bring back her leg to kick the silver Exo off, Ianos immediately released a surge of anger, his orange hues narrowing behind his darken visor. Although only a test, Ianos was still taken by surprise as Petra suddenly halted, her blue eyes snapping up at attention and pausing onto the group of Guardians. Seeing her attention on them, Ianos lifted up his hand and waved once, a sign to gain the Awoken soldier's attention.

 _Kick her off, and I'm coming up onto that ring and you'll see how 'dangerous' a Guardian can be._

The way Petra's single eye widen, Ianos took it as a sign that his small message went through.

"What? But how-"

The words from Petra's lips were lost as Carina's violet optics suddenly flared to life and her hand reached out and snatched the female Awoken's ankle. Then, with a single grunt, Carina swung towards the edge of the ring, Petra letting out a startled scream before she landed with a 'thud' on the outer edge of the arena. Watching the female Awoken push herself back up onto her hands and knees and listening to her curse under her breath, Ianos turned his attention towards Uldren and couldn't help but let an amused smile form onto his lips at the shocked expression on the Prince's face.

"Don't you have something to say, 'Prince' Uldren?" Ianos could easily hear the smugness in Pluto's voice, the blind Exo grinning behind his hood as Uldren turned and glared at the Guardians, "We're waiting."

Watching the Prince's jaw go rigid, Ianos watched Uldren turn his yellow eyes towards the Queen, the latter of which let out a single nod. A sign to confirm the Guardians' victory. The fury that flared up in the Prince's eyes as a response to the Queen's simple action was enough to make Ianos smile as he listened to the Awoken male speak through clenched teeth, "Although I 'despise' to admit it, this… victory goes to the Guardians." Giving the Guardians another glare, Uldren stated, "You'll be escorted to your rooms. We will…discuss the contents of this 'treaty' tomorrow." With his words spoken, the Prince turned and descended down the steps of the throne, his fists clenched and his footsteps heavy.

Amused by the Prince's display, Ianos turned his attention towards the Queen, only to pause at the amused grin on her pale features. Easily seeing the male Warlock's eyes on her, the Queen locked her gaze with Ianos', and her smile only seem to broaden, from the way she tilted her head as if to gain a better glance at the Awoken.

 _You are an interesting asset, Guardian._

Hearing her words echo in his mind, Ianos couldn't help but shake his head to rid of the buzzing in the back of his head, glancing up in time to see the Queen descend down the stairs with her guards following not too far behind her. Waiting until the female Awoken was out of sight, Ianos turned his attention towards Carina, only to see his team surrounding the injured Exo, her good hand waving around as if to stave off the others.

"I told you I'm fine," Carina's words were clear as Ianos approached the group, a sign that Spears had already done his word on fixing his Guardian's jaw, "Just need a patch up and – damn I didn't know Awoken punched that hard." Watching the female Exo shake her head, Ianos listened to beeps and whistles emit from the violet and green Ghost, and from the way Carina glared at the small AI, he had said something to annoy the Exo Titan, "What do you mean I have to rest for a day? I am completely fine." With a huff, Carina pushed herself onto her feet and attempted to take a step forward, only to suddenly lean to the left, her feet easily crumpling under her. Luckily for her, Akiva had stepped in and caught the female Exo before she could crash to the floor.

"I don't know exactly what Spears said but I have to agree that you need rest," Aleeza walked over and wrapped one of Carina's arms around her shoulders, easily taking the groaning Exo from her brother's grasp, "Although, I think you would like some 'company' wouldn't you?" Carina's violet optics snapped up at the female Awoken, causing the latter to let out a wink, "You won, so guess who is going to be top tonight? If you're up for it of course."

"I'm up for anything that involves you love," Carina winked back, earning a chorus of giggles from the Awoken Warlock.

"How did you do that?"

Everyone's attention towards the three forms of the opposing team, and from the narrowed glance in Petra's single eye, it wasn't a congratulations on their win.

"Did what?"

Petra shot a glare at Pluto before shifting her attention towards Ianos, the male Warlock tilting his head slightly at the stare, "You! You are a Guardian from earth, correct?"

When a single nod was her response, Petra then jabbed a finger onto Ianos' chest, "Then how did you do that? How did you, an Earthborn Awoken, have the 'Link'?"

"The what?" Angel spoke up, but was reigned into silence from the glares he received from Petra's teammates.

Humming slightly to himself, Ianos shrugged and responded with a question of his own, "What made you think that I am Earthborn?"

The startled look on the Awoken soldier's face then to shock was enough to make Ianos' day, "Wait do not tell me that you're…"

Instead of responding, Ianos gave the female Awoken a slight wave before nodding his head towards his team, a sign to gather themselves and head towards the exit where other Awoken guards waited. Then, Ianos bowed low, extending out his arms while bringing one leg back, startling the three Awoken in front of him even further before he lifted himself up and stated, "It is nice to meet you, Zev, Talle, Petra. Hopefully we can meet again under 'better' circumstances."

He then turned and followed the others of his team towards the exit.

Xxxxx

" _That was an interesting match, was it not?"_

Flashing a nervous smile, Angel brushed his fingers through his dark locks before heaving out a sigh and throwing himself onto the bed beneath him. Although he wasn't the one who fought in the duel, the human Hunter couldn't help but feel exhausted; especially after witnessing the close call with their defeat. Hearing the Vandal grumble under his breath, Angel pushed himself up and leaned against his hands for support, "What?"

"Purple," Was Vellak' response and it took Angel only a moment to burst out laughing.

Their room, although decorated with two beds made of silk accompanied with a dresser, a large mirror in placed in a corner and a large window covered with curtains, were all colored violet and gold. Angel had guess that it is to represent the Awoken Royalty and not to mention to represent the Awoken in general, but the sullen look on Vellak's features were enough to make the Hunter chuckle.

"I have to admit, the Awoken have a very…simple taste," Angel hummed as his chuckles died down, "Especially on color."

Letting out a grunt of agreement, Vellak returned to the tablet he held in his lap as he sat on the bed, tapping on the surface before he went completely silent, earning the complete attention of the Hunter.

"Miss Olkar and Axtris?" Angel asked in which he earned a single nod as a response. Giving the Vandal a gentle smile, Angel sat up on his bed and called out, "Hope?"

Almost immediately, the familiar star shaped form of the Ghost appeared behind the curtains of the window, the red and white Ghost blinking once before she glided over to her Guardian, "You called?"

"Can you set up a link to the Tower? To Spirit specifically?"

"Want to check up on the two young'uns?"

When Angel nodded, Hope immediately spread out her parts, the familiar static echoing through the room before the familiar 'click' resounded to signal the connection.

"Hello?" The Hunter called out tentatively and almost immediately, Spirit's familiar voice rang through the com, "Angel? Is that you?"

Letting another smile flash onto his tan features, Angel responded, "Yeah, it's me."

"Was wondering when one of you was going to call." Spirit sighed, "How did things go? I heard things went bad enough that you had to fight in a duel in order to get the treaty going."

"Word spreads fast, huh?" Angel chuckled to himself before he added, "Although barely, we did win. We're going to work on the treaty tomorrow." Leaning forward, the Hunter then asked, "How are things on your end?"

"Oh you know, the usual," Spirit replied, "Missions. Resting. Weapon and armor repairs. Then more missions." The Hunter then heard the Exo chuckle, "Although I have to warn you, Alyx took a liking to your cats. He always have at least one of them in his arms when he walks around the Tower."

Laughing, Angel stated, "Well, at least I know that Snowflake and Faith are in good hands." Taking a moment to take in a breath, Angel then asked, "So how is Axtris and Olkar doing?"

Immediately, silence filled the room, causing Angel to shift uneasily in his seat, "Spirit? You…do know where they are right?"

"Well…" Spirit hesitated, "We 'sort' of know where they are?"

"…Spirit."

"Okay alright, just saying, except for Leo, we were all in on this."

"Hey!" Jordan's voice echoed through the coms, "Traitor!"

"The two really wanted to go with you guys," Spirit ignored the Hunter's outburst, "so we sort of…helped them out."

Sitting in momentarily silence, Angel's eyes slowly widen, "You didn't…"

"When you guys weren't looking, we helped them onto your ship," Spirit continued, "If you're wondering why you didn't see them earlier, it's because they were cloaked."

"Why the Darkness did you let them on my ship!?" Angel shouted, his words causing the Exo Warlock to pause, "I told you the reason why I wanted you guys to keep an eye on them, right!?"

"Look, we completely understand why you are worried about them but the two convinced us that they were old enough 'and' strong enough to handle themselves," Spirit's tone turned serious, "not to mention that they are worried about their older brother."

This caused Angel to go silent, Spirit taking it as a sign to finish, "Since you two are onboard the Reef, more than likely Axtris and Olkar are already following you guys around, cloaked. So I advise that you find them before the Awoken do. Good luck." The 'click' echoed through the air, a sign that Spirit had closed the frequency. Angel then took the opportunity to let out a groan before flopping back onto the bed, Hope gliding over his head in concern, "…Did you hear all that, Vellak?"

"Yes," The Vandal responded immediately, causing Angel to glance up, a bewildered look on his face. With his siblings missing in action, the Hunter had expected the Eliksni to be more concerned, but instead, he watched Vellak calmly fold the tablet in his lap before shoving it into his sack and placing his hands in his lap. Vellak's next words immediately helped Angel understand the Vandal's outward indifference, "That would explain the slight buzzing I have been hearing the entire day." His tone then shifted, the familiar growling emitting from the Eliksni, " _Which gives me the right to ask why you think this was a good idea to follow us without our knowledge, Olkar. Axtris."_

Immediately, the corner of the room buzzed and sparked, giving off enough energy to reveal the two outlines of the younger Eliksni. Hearing Axtris let out a huff, Angel watched as the cloak dissipated, revealing Olkar and Axtris respectively.

" _And here we though we can follow you two just a bit longer,"_ Axtris pouted as she crossed her arms, earning a slight rumble from Olkar, " _It is not funny, Olkar. This was your idea."_

" _In honesty, I was expecting Vellak to catch us 'before' we even got onto Pure One's ship,"_ Olkar let out a low rumble of amusement, " _Then again, did you really not notice us? Or did you feign ignorance to let us on board?"_

A low rumble was the younger Eliksni's answer, and although quiet, Angel caught just enough of it to give the older Vandal a flabbergasted look, " _You were in on this too?"_

" _Not completely,"_ Vellak admitted, earning a groan from the Hunter, " _If it makes you feel any better, I didn't sense them until we entered the ship."_

" _Thanks"_ Letting out a low grumble, Angel sat up, " _You do realize that we have to inform the others of Olkar and Axtris' presence here?"_

" _And..?"_

" _Also Ether,"_ This caused the three Eliksni to pause, " _We only brought enough for you, Vellak, for at least a month. What if our stay here is longer than that? And to spread it evenly between the three of you? I highly doubt it will last the week."_ Sliding off of his bed, Angel crossed his arms as he sighed, " _I fear to say it, but I think we may have to ask the Queen for the Reef's supply of Ether."_

Axtris let out a low growl, lowering herself to the floor as she started, " _But-"_

" _Unless you want to be sent back home than stay here, I'm all ears for other alternatives."_

Hearing the female Eliskni grumble under her breath, Angel heaved out another sigh before waving Hope over, "Send out a frequency to the others."

Xxxx

"To think one of our own became a 'Soldier of the Light'." Uldren let out a scoff as he paced in front of his sister's throne, the Queen watching with slight amusement as the Prince stalked back and forth, "And used our 'link' against 'us', the Reefborn. His 'people'."

"We do not understand the circumstances yet, brother," The Queen spoke smoothly before propping her elbow on the arm of her throne, leaning her head against it as she added, "Who knows, this 'Guardian' may have been an exile or a runaway years ago. Perhaps before even our birth."

"Which is why I do not understand why we have to form a treaty with 'them'," Uldren snapped, "If that Guardian is indeed an exile or a deserter, he 'will' have a grudge against us. This so called 'treaty' maybe a trap. And we are falling into it."

"The Guardians did not show hostility against us, Uldren," The Queen smiled as she watched her brother pause, "Even now, despite our 'treatment' towards them, they not once raise their light against us, inside 'or' outside of the ring." Straightening herself out, the female Awoken leaned back in her seat as she crossed her legs, "To form an alliance with the Guardians also comes with risks, brother. One does not simply achieve victory by cowering away from opportunities that may or may not succeed." Shifting her vibrant blue eyes onto her brother, the Queen added, "That is, after all, how we won the Reef Wars." Calmly placing her hands in her lap, the Queen tilted her head slightly at the scowl on Uldren's features, letting a small smile form onto her pale features with knowledge of her small victory, "Now if you do not mind, Uldren, would you mind sending invitations to the Guardians?"

This earned the Queen a puzzled look, "Invitations? To what?"

To the Prince's surprise, a fully formed smile faded onto his sister's face, "For a festivity, a congratulations to the Guardians for their victory."

* * *

 _Is it just me or does this chapter seem shorter than the others?...might be just be me._


	24. An Interruption

_**Tormented**_

 _ **An Interruption**_

 _I apologize for the late update today but when i was rereading through this chapter, I was displeased with one part and attempted to fix it...only for me to give in and just deal with the part I already have._

 _Thanks Ashen Titan for your review! Glad that you are enjoying the story! Hopefully I can keep it up with the next chapters!_

* * *

"I don't like this." Hearing the complaint from his fellow Exo, Pluto couldn't help but let out a snort before reflexively reaching up to fix his hood, only for his fingers to grab air as the slow realization of the absence of the piece of cloth faded into his mind.

Instead of the natural leather and cloth armor of Hunters, the Handmaiden assigned to him crafted Pluto a black suit with a white undershirt and dark shoes; the 'ball' that the Guardians were invited to was important enough that the Awoken who tended to him even convinced him to remove his blindfold, once again having the assistance of Nix to repair his damaged eyes. As soon as his Handmaiden was finished sorting out the last few details – suit all cleaned and free of wrinkles, a dark shawl thrown over his left shoulder – Pluto took it upon himself to walk around in his new look. And he has to say, he wasn't disappointed.

Carina however, was a different story, the silver Exo muttering her breath as she attempted to walk around in the white dress that she was forced into, only to curse moments later as the cloth easily shifted around her ankles. "How can this offer any protection?" Carina muttered as she held up one of her legs, revealing the white flats on the soles of her feet, "Let alone fight in this?"

"This isn't for fighting, Carina," Akiva gave the female Exo a sheepish smile, "it's for 'special occasion' or a formal party, such as this." Like Pluto, the Titan was dressed in a suit but holds a dark hue of brown, making his pale skin contrast greatly against the dark color. Akiva's Handmaiden had taken it upon herself to brush his shoulder length hair and tie it back into a low ponytail, making his golden eyes more vibrant against his features.

"But what if they get attacked?" The Exo Titan retorted as she attempted to walk around once more, letting out a snarl as the thin cloth brushed against her metallic plates, "How do they defend themselves?"

"Well, attacks hardly happen at events such as these ," Aleeza let out a nervous smile as she twirled around once, admiring her outfit before her ankles buckled underneath her, the female Awoken quickly regaining her balance on unfamiliar shoes, "that is what I heard anyway."

Dressed in a dark violet dress also reaching down to her ankles, Aleeza was outfitted with heels in contrast to Carina's flats – mainly for the reason that Carina could not stay balanced – that matches the color of the cloth before her long hair was braided and decorated with beads, letting it cascade over her shoulder to let the lights hit the gems and shimmer under its gaze.

"So that would explain the lack of armor," Angel gave the others a wary look, "although I have to admit, I also feel 'exposed' without it." Dressed in a gray suit, Angel's hair too has been brushed back, but unlike Akiva, his bangs were too short of lengths to be pulled back, so his Handmaiden opted to split his bangs down the middle, letting his black strands hug the side of his face.

"Well, you have to admit, we spend a lot of time out in the field more than anything," Aleeza pointed out, "so I guess it would make sense that it would be…strange wearing anything else besides our armor."

"Speaking of which, is Ianos going to join us?" Angel asked, "We have been waiting for a while."

The human Hunter's words caused everyone's gaze to shift towards the door of the Awoken Warlock's room, waiting patiently for their comrade in arms to waltz out the door. They all have decided to meet up at Ianos' room when the group found each other out in the hall but no sooner had they gotten close that they heard the yelling. From what they can get the gist of, the Handmaiden attending to the male Awoken was insistent that Ianos removes his armor and his response would be immediate, a resounding "No!" echoing off from every sentence he spoke. It had only gotten quiet moments ago, but this caused only uneasiness emit from the team. How is Ianos going to dress formally when his armor is his literal life support?

The sound of the door sliding open caused everyone to snap to attention, holding their breaths as the familiar form of Ianos slowly came into view, the latter grumbling under his breath. Like the others, Ianos wore a dark azure suit however, his came with gloves and a cloak draped over his shoulders; the familiar colors of the Awoken Royalty imprinted on the cloth. To everyone's surprise, the old life support was back, the clear mask once again on his face and the canisters hooked around his waist, although the tubes were pressed against his back, the brightly colored cloak hiding majority of it. Sensing the eyes his team on him, Ianos fixated his glowing orange hues on them, "What?"

"Nothing, we just thought you would have put up more of a… fight when it came to removing your armor," Aleeza admitted, earning a blank stare from the male Awoken.

"Oh he did," Ace glided over the shoulder of their Guardian, "But when the Handmaiden spoke of a 'replacement', Ianos reluctantly brought up the prototype and in the end, we had to compromise."

"It was the only way to get her off my back," The Warlock grumbled, "Otherwise she would try to corner me and try to rip my armor off."

A sputter from Akiva was the response, "R-rip it off!? Is that how Awoken do things here?"

Both Aleeza and Ianos shrugged, "Don't look at us."

Heaving out a sigh, Pluto simply rubbed the back of his neck before stating, "Well, now that we're ready, we just have to wait for our escort." He glanced around before the Exo added, "The message stated that they should be here waiting for us when we're all ready."

"It seems I am on time."

All eyes turned down one side of the hall, only for Carina to let out a choke, "P-Petra?"

Flashing the Exo a smile, Petra quickly saluted to the Guardians. Dressed in attire similar to Aleeza and Carina, the only difference was the color of the dress which took on a black hue, and the band around her arm, which held a crest that resembled crowns interlocking with the other.

"The Queen have tasked me in leading you to the ballroom," She lowered her hand and then motioned for the Guardians to follow, "It is not far from here." Petra then started to head towards their destination, "Best not to keep the Queen waiting."

"Did the banquet already begun?" It was Akiva who asked the question, the group of Guardians following the female Awoken, the latter of which shook her head.

"My Queen, although seemingly cold, does have common courtesy to wait for her all invited guests to arrive before letting the festivities begin," Petra explained, glancing back at the Guardians only to sight the uneasy looks she gained from the young Hunter, "Do not worry. You are not late. The banquet doesn't start for a few minutes." She then heaved out a sigh as she focused her attention forward, "Although a warning, do be careful when interacting with the nobles of the Reef. They can be a bit…temperamental if confronted."

"You mean they will cry and whine if things do not go their way," Ianos muttered, earning a surprise look from the female Awoken, "and they will use their status to change that, especially if they're arrogant bastards."

"You are from earth correct?" Petra earned a nod as an answer, "And you know this how..?"

Turning his orange hues towards the Awoken soldier, the male Awoken scrunched his features together, bewilderment clear in his gaze as he admitted, "I… don't know."

Raising a brow at this, Petra remained momentarily silent before she voiced, "So the rumors that Guardians are resurrected with no memory are true then?"

"It depends," Pluto was the one who responded, the Exo Hunter letting out a shrug, "Each individual is 'different' either counting on how long they have been dead, circumstances of their death, or their race."

"Race?" Petra repeated, giving the dark clad Exo a puzzled look, "What does race have to do with anything?"

"Well, this is just a theory," Aleeza spoke next, her crimson eyes beaming as she explained, "but according to what Warlocks have studied, the race of the Guardians can play a part on how much they remember. For instance, Exo have shown to remember substantially more than their 'organic' counterparts, mainly for the reason that their main circuitry carry back up memories, which are unlocked under different circumstances such as hacking, a head trauma, a word cue, or somehow it just releases itself." She then raised her hands up towards Angel and Akiva, "Humans show a lot more diversity when it came to memory loss. There are humans who remember almost 'all' of their memories like my broth- Akiva here, or, those who hardly remember anything, like Angel." Aleeza then reached over and tapped Ianos on the shoulder, earning a grunt in response, "And then there's the Awoken. For some reason, the Awoken who are resurrected hardly remember 'anything' majority of the time, especially those who were born naturally. The reason?" She then shrugged, "We're still trying to figure that out."

"Although in due time, memories do slowly come back," Ianos added in as he crossed his arms, "once again though, how much you gain back differentiates from each Guardian."

Petra blinked, "So how much do you remember then?"

"I'm a Reefborn." Ianos shrugged at the blank look he received from the Awoken female, "a few politics here and there but nothing substantial."

"Ah, that would explain how you know about The Script." Petra nodded her head once in acknowledgment, "and how you used the Link against me during the duel."

Ianos let out a short snort, "Your 'Prince' didn't say anything about a little 'help' from the sidelines."

"…Good point," Petra admitted as the group came to a pause at a door, the female Awoken nodding her head once to the guards standing at either side of it. Waiting until the guards nodding their head once, Petra took another step forward, causing the sensors around the door to blink and activate, causing it to slide open and letting the group inside. Almost instantly, the group was hit with large amount of chatter and laughter, their sight filled with the vibrant colors of formal wear of the Awoken around them, either ignoring the Guardians or giving them a quick glance before returning to the conversation at hand.

"As you know, the banquet is to celebrate your victory against us," Petra stated as she motioned for the Guardians to follow, leading them towards steps in which she started to ascend, "it is not very common that opponents defeat the Royal House."

"Wait, how often do these duels happen then?" Angel asked.

Petra shrugged, "Counts on the year really. Sometimes we get only one a year, others, we get over ten."

"And how often do you win these duels?"

Making it to the top of the steps, Petra turned and gave the Guardians a smile, "Let's just say, that there is a reason why not many are willing to duel us the following year." The grin on Petra's face broaden at how Angel's eyes widen before she gestured with her hands towards a table, "This is your seat, Guardians. The Banquet will start shortly." She then paused as a small child walked up, tablet in hand, before another broad smile flashed onto her pale features, "Oh yes. Guardians, if you do not mind, sign your name on here." Taking the tablet from the child, Petra turned and handed the small screen to the Guardians; Akiva, the one to take hold of it, gave the female Awoken a puzzled look, "And this is for…?" The smile on Petra's face not once left her features, "Oh, you'll see, Guardians. You'll see." Sensing the mischievous tone in her voice, Akiva decided to leave it, proven when he turned his gaze onto the tablet and typed in his name before handing it to Pluto, who did the same. As soon as the tablet was passed around and made it back to Petra who handed it back to the child, the Awoken soldier finally turned and saluted the Guardians before turning around and joining another table of Awoken.

"…Are soldiers of the Awoken Royal house strong, Ianos?" It was Angel who asked the question, all eyes turning towards the male Awoken, the latter of which shrugged at the human Hunter's words.

"Not sure," The Warlock admitted, "from what I remember anyway." He then heaved out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder to lock gaze with Ace, the AI tilting their core slightly in response, "Although who knows, I might gain an answer to your question soon."

This earned the Veteran Guardian a bewildered look, "What do you mean?"

Turning his gaze back towards his team, Ianos responded, "I can only guess, but I believe our stay in the Reef is helping some of my memory to return. Hazy but it's coming back none the less."

"You gained more of your memory back?" Pluto asked, in which a single nod was his answer.

"Mainly about how snobby some of the noble houses are," Ianos scoffed as he narrowed his eyes at the bustling Awoken below them, feeling the cold stares they received, "The more power they have the more condescending they are."

"Well, that's comforting to know," Akiva let out a sheepish smile, "I'm guessing that's one group of Awoken to avoid?"

"I say we avoid all Awoken during this party," Lex flashed over his Guardian's shoulder, startling the human Titan as the Ghost Bracelet dimmed from the action, "I don't trust them."

"You don't trust me?" Aleeza asked.

"I don't trust the 'Reefborn'." Lex emphasized, his golden eye watching the Guardian's respective Ghosts materialize over their shoulders, "I know politics plays a large part back at the Tower, but here, politics dominates 'everything'. And to me, that spells nothing but trouble."

"I have to admit, that is a good point," Lena hummed out, turning her optic towards her Guardian who nodded her head in agreement, "Although Guardians we are, we're out in the field often we hardly have the time learn anything about politics. We just don't have time for such things."

"That's why you need 'years' to figure things out," It was Nix who commented, his blind optic staring ahead into space, "and I have to say, there was a lot to read."

"I'm just glad you were there to scan everything for me," Pluto added in, earning a chuckle from his Ghost, "Otherwise I would have been in there for ages."

"So we can come to an agreement, we don't like how the Reef works," Hope stated and almost immediately, she felt herself being snatched out of the air, feeling the familiar warmth of her Guardian's palms wrapped around her shell, "What?"

"Don't say things like that 'here'." Angel hissed out, completely hiding his ghost from view, his green hues eyeing nearby Awoken, the latter of which had immediately turned their attention towards the Guardians at Hope's outburst, "Especially with all the work we did to get this far."

"It's true though," Hope muttered as she managed to squeeze out of the human Hunter's grasp but reluctantly let out a single nod, a sign to her Guardian that she will behave. For now.

"If I may have everyone's attention!"

Startled by the voice echoing through the room, all eyes turned towards a single male Awoken dressed in a suit decorated with a cloak embellished with the colors of the Reef. Sensing all eyes on him, the man cleared his throat before standing straight and gesturing towards the round circular doors, the latter of which were opened and adorned in cloths colored with the symbol of Awoken royalty, "May I formally introduce the Royal Sov House!" Almost immediately, all Awoken present in the room went silent, causing an uneasiness to emit from the Guardians as the crier continued, "Firstly! The Queen of the Reef and the one who had led us to victory during the Reef Wars: Queen Mara Sov!"

At the mention of her name, the familiar white haired Awoken walked through the doors. However, unlike before, she had tossed away the leather garments and went to one of elegant silk, the black and violet contrasting greatly against her pale skin. Gems adorned the dressed which dragged on the floor behind her as she ascended the steps towards the throne; her silver crown wrapped around her temples to emphasize her status.

"And following behind our beloved Queen, is her brother! The Prince and advisor: Prince Uldren Sov!"

Like his sister, Uldren too entered the room, dressed in a black suit with a cloak thrown over his shoulder; the symbol of the royal house emblazoned onto the piece of cloth. Uldren too wore a crown, however, his was small and simpler in design compared to Mara's; small enough to extenuate against the Queen's but elegant enough to emphasize his status. As the two royal Awoken took their seats, the crier bowed low in their direction before descending down the steps to his own table, a sign for Mara to speak.

"As you all know, this festivity is being held in honor of the Guardians victory against us," The Queen stated, immediately gaining murmurs and grumbles from the Reefborn, "This is not only to show that we hold no ill will towards them, but to show that we are willing to forge a Treaty, an alliance with the Guardians." Letting a small smile grace her lips, the Queen continued, "This Treaty will be in the works later this day, but for now, let us celebrate. Let us drink and be merry under this new flag; with our new friends." Mara then waved her hand towards the seated Guardians, the latter of which gave the Queen a startled glance. However, as her vibrant blue eyes scanned the crowd and no words of encouragement echoed through the air, the look in Mara's eyes hardened, immediately catching the attention of the Soldiers of Light.

"I see," Mara leaned back in her seat, the coldness of her gaze causing all present Reefborn to go rigid, "I understand that 'majority' of you do not 'approve' of this treaty, but the 'Script', which has been the word of our people for 'generations', state that a favor is owed to those who emerge 'victorious' from the duel. And the Guardians obviously earned it." Keeping her icy gaze on the Reefborn, she continued, "Anyone who oppose may do so freely, 'but', any attempts to stop this alliance will be met with severe punishment." The Queen paused, as if to emphasize her next words, "Do I make myself clear?"

Grumbles was the answer of the audience, but from the way they avoided eye contact with the Queen and the way they shifted uncomfortably in their seats was satisfactory enough for Mara, "Good, then let the festivities continue."

Almost immediately, the sound of instruments resounded through the air and as if it was a signal, the chatter returned, causing much bewilderment at the table of the Guardians.

"What. The Hell. Was that?" Aleeza spoke first, turning her wide crimson eyes towards her team, "Did the Queen just threaten a room full of people? And got away with it?"

"I think she did." Akiva rubbed the back of his neck, "and they all complied easily with her will."

Heaving out a sigh, Pluto leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "The Queen's tougher than I thought." Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Exo Hunter heaved out another sigh, "If she stays this sturdy during the forging of the Treaty, it may take a lot longer than we anticipated."

"What do you mean?" Carina asked, her violet optics blinking as Pluto lifted his red hues towards the younger Exo.

"It means that if there is a disagreement on the treaty, persuading her won't be easy," Ianos also heaved out a sigh as he shook his head, "And if we can't reach a consensus, this may all be for nothing."

"Wait, so you're saying…" Angel started, earning a nod from the Awoken Warlock.

"If we cannot reach an agreement, the Queen may change her mind, Script or not, and from the way she just threatened the Reefborn, it won't be pretty for us if she does."

"Of course, that can easily be avoided," Pluto pointed out, earning a slight scoff from the male Awoken, "Yes, it may take a few days, but a compromise can be brought to light."

"But let me guess, the downside is that our stay here will be longer than anticipated?" Angel then heaved out a sigh when the Exo Hunter nodded, "Terrific."

"Let's worry about that later," Aleeza smiled at the group before gesturing her head towards their table, the top covered all assortment of food and drink, "But I think we deserve to treat ourselves, don't you think?" With that, the female Awoken picked up a pitcher, tipped the contents into her glass before picking it up and downing the contents.

Xxxxx

" _I can't believe this!"_ Axtris raged as the trio slowly walked down the walkway, the three walking in a straight line along the narrow path, " _We cannot follow Pure One and his comrades because we are Eliksni?! The nerve!"_

" _At least Pure One was able to convince them to let us wander,"_ Olkar reminded, earning a grumble from his sister, " _otherwise the alternative would be locked up in his room and watched by guards."_

" _I understand why they hate our race,"_ Axtris snapped, " _but 'we' are not the House of Wolves. We did 'nothing' to these Ashen Ones."_

" _Tell that to them, Axtris,"_ Vellak rumbled, earning a glare from his youngest littermate, " _To us, there is a difference, but to these 'Ashen' Ones, all they see is the same face that they had fought during the war."_

" _Well they should learn the difference,"_ The female Eliksni snarled, " _I am tired of being treated differently all because of what others of our race did."_

" _Try and convincing them of that, little one."_

The three Eliksni's eyes turned in front of them, only for Axtris to lower herself to the ground and let out a screech, snarling as two Eliksni approached them.

The female Eliksni's posture was only met with an amused snort, " _Do they always greet others like this?"_

" _Only towards those she sees as a threat,"_ Olkar responded as he walked off the narrow walkway and onto a larger platform, moving out of the way to make room for his siblings, " _I am Olkar of the House of Spirits, guard of the light Pure One and littermate to Axtris and Vellak of the House of Spirits."_

A laugh was the response to Olkar's introduction, " _So formality is not lost after all amongst Eliksni."_ Nonetheless, the Eliksni dipped his head, a sign of respect, " _My name is Anikis of the House of Wolves, soldier of the Kell and Queen of the Reef."_ He then motioned with his hands towards the other Eliksni, " _and this is Inkolas of the House of Wolves, soldier of the Kell and Queen of the Reef."_

" _Nice to meet you Anikis, Inkolas,"_ Vellak nodded his head to each respective Eliksni, nudging his sister with his staff, ceasing her snarling with a grunt, " _I am Vellak of the House of Spirits, House Scribe and guard of the light Pure One and littermate to Olkar and Axtris of House of Spirits."_

Turning his gaze towards the female Eliksni, Vellak frowned at Axtris' pouting form, causing the elder Eliksni to tap her once more with his staff, " _I am Axtris of the House of Spirits, guard of the light Pure One and littermate to Vellak and Olkar of the House of Spirits."_

Rumbling in approval, Vellak dipped his head once, " _Our apologies for our littermate's behavior, she has been… 'short' since our arrival here."_

"… _She?"_ The wide eyed expression on Anikis' face caused Vellak to blink and respond, " _Yes. Is…something the matter?"_

" _No, no, nothing's wrong."_ The nervous glance that Anikis gave Axtris was enough to make her two older brother's doubt, " _I am curious though as to why Eliksni of the House of Spirits are here at the Reef."_

" _You heard of the Guardian that helped forge the alliance between our House and the Guardians, correct?"_ Olkar asked, in which he received a nod as an answer, " _Well he is here and we have been given the duty to protect him."_

" _That and to record any significant events for our house,"_ Vellak added as he nodded his head towards his pack around his waist, " _But so far, the Ashen Ones have been…restraining us since our arrival here."_

" _That's how they greet all outsiders,"_ Anikis chuckled, " _do not worry, they will warm up to you, soon, if your stay here is long."_ He then took several steps forward, letting out a small rumble of curiosity as he glanced down at the pack around Vellak's waist before locking his gaze with the elder Vandal, " _So you're a scribe of the House of Spirits?"_

Vellak nodded once, only to let out a growl at Anikis' next words, " _Despite the fact that you were once part of House Devil."_

" _The House of Judgement has long been extinct,"_ The Elder Vandal rumbled, " _what else can we do when the House is long gone and there is no one to record the history of our people."_

Almost immediately, snickering echoed through the area, causing the three Vandals to turn their attention to Inkolas, the latter of which had crossed his arms and giving the group an amused smirk, " _What? What is so amusing to you, Inkolas?"_

" _The House of Judgement is not dead,"_ Inkolas simply stated, earning a startled look of surprise from the group of three, " _If you do not believe us, then we can introduce you."_ With his words stated, Inkolas turned and started walking away, earning an amused chuckle from his partner. " _Always the type to get straight to the point."_ Anikis then turned and motioned for the three Vandals to follow before turning around and following the other Vandal.

" _House of Judgement not dead?"_ Vellak turned his attention towards Olkar, hearing his littermate breath out, " _But father said-"_

" _None of our previous House has ever been to the Reef,"_ The Elder Vandal pointed out, reigning his younger sibling into silence, " _but then again, should we trust their word and believe that an extinct House is still alive?"_

Axtris let out a scoff as she crossed her arms, grumbling under her breath before she added, " _What else can we do but follow? It's not like we have anything else to do."_ The female Eliksni then let out a rumble as she added, " _Although I have to admit, I am curious to see if they're telling the truth."_

The two male Eliksni turned and glanced at each other before fixating their gaze back onto their littermate and when all three of their eyes locked together, they all came to an agreement. Looking up to see the two Vandals had come to a pause near a doorway, the three Eliksni followed.

Xxxxx

It was strange to Ianos at how easily the rest of his team seemingly warmed up during the festivity, how easily they chatted and laughed boisterously at the table. Then again, they had consumed a large amount of alcohol, especially Aleeza and Akiva, the twins having decided to take part in a drinking contest after consuming much of the food at their table, their flushed faces and the way they sway in their seats showed how much of their alcoholic beverage they had consumed. Carina, much to Ianos' surprise, decided to stay back and enjoy the show, although this doesn't mean she had her fair share of drinks. This was made apparent when she had one of her hands on the table in a vice grip, as if to keep herself balanced as she took sips from her glass in her other hand. On the other hand, Pluto – one of the few Guardians who can handle his alcohol- kept downing his drinks, as if to drown out the sounds of the chattering Awoken around him. From the way his optics seem to stare off into space, Ianos can guess what is going through the Hunter's mind. Finally, Angel – the one usually sober and tend to lean away from alcoholic beverages – was unfortunately convinced by Carina to 'let loose' and now the Hunter looked like he was able to fall right out of his seat, his face flushed red from the few drinks he had consumed.

"This is turning mildly interesting," Ace hummed above Ianos' shoulder, the Warlock turning his orange hues just enough to get the Ghost in his sight, "who would have thought that Awoken alcohol is actually strong enough to bring Guardians down in just a few drinks."

"Maybe Awoken need something stronger for their tolerance?" Ianos simply stated before turning his eyes towards Aleeza, who locked gaze with the Warlock and waved enthusiastically, "Or not?"

"Maybe it's for 'naturalborn' Awoken?" It was Lena who spoke, the Ghost turning her crimson optic towards her Guardian, eyeing the glass the female Awoken held in her hand before it was quickly emptied, "because you seem fine, Ianos."

Blinking only once, Ianos glanced down at the half finish glass in his hand before he lifted his free hand, casually lifted his respirator, and downed the glass, quickly swallowing the contents before quickly flipping the mask back down over his lips and placing the now empty cup back onto the table, "Perhaps…"

"Well that would explain all the times you were able to outdrink even Titans back then," Ace chuckled, earning a blank look from their Guardian, "but then again, I highly doubt it's a good idea to forge this treaty 'drunk', don't you think?"

"Don't worry, we'll sober them up when this party is over," Lex spoke, keeping his golden optic on Akiva, who let out another laugh as Aleeza attempted to tip her glass into her lips, only for half the contents to fall onto her lap, "Which is hopefully soon."

Watching Lena clean up the spill on the female Warlock's dress, Ianos then turned his focus towards the throne, eyeing the two Royal Awoken. The two had a table brought for them not long after they had taken their seat and although the table was filled with assortment of foodstuff, it looked like it hardly had been touched. Instead, the siblings seemed have taken a liking to their drinks, the red liquid swirling in the clear glass as they took tentative sips. And from the looks of it, they had been drinking it for a while, their pale gray features slightly flushed but from the way Uldren's gaze seemed to lock onto the crowd and Mara's amused smile on her lips, it seemed like their mind are still clear as day.

"May I have everyone's attention please?!"

The familiar voice of the crier echoing through the room, all eyes once again towards the Awoken man. Like before, he stood tall and rigid but this time, held a tablet in his hands, one that looked a bit familiar.

"Hey, isn't that the tablet that Petra asked you to input your names?" Ace asked and the familiarity clicked into Ianos' head, "…Shit."

"As customary for every festivity, all present will have to input their name onto a tablet, as you see here," The Crier then held up the small screen before lowering it, "and a single name will be drawn." He then seemed to beam as he added, "A name that will have the chance to dance with the Queen tonight."

The sputtering of the twin's drinks were drowned out by the crowd's cheer, but Carina's voice slurred loudly enough for their table to hear, "W-What? A dance? With the Queen?"

"Fuck, I knew Petra was up to something," Pluto muttered out, pushing away his glass as a sign for Nix to slowly sober up his systems, "She knew this was coming."

"But there's how many Awoken in here and how many of us?" Angel groaned as he rubbed his temples, giving Hope a quick nod of thanks, "what's the chance that one of us will get chosen?"

Turning his attention back to the Crier, Ianos came to a pause, his orange hues locked onto the single name on the screen of the tablet that the Awoken male held up once more. In bright flickering letters was the Warlock's name.

"Very high apparently," Ianos muttered out, lowering himself into his seat as he heard the Crier announce his name and the grumbling of the Awoken around him echoed through the room.

"Ianos! Ianos you are needed up at the steps!" The Crier shouted, lowering the tablet in his hands as his eyes scanned the crowd, "Ianos you are to come to the steps to escort the Queen to the ballroom!"

Hearing the Crier continuing to call his name, Ianos turned his gaze towards the throne, his hues locking onto the two Royalty nearby. He had expected Uldren to be scowling at the result of the one person who is going to have his sister's hand in dance, but to Ianos' surprise, the Prince's gaze was more amused than anything, the slight mirth in his eyes apparent. Although his amusement was not as clear as Mara's though, the Queen's vibrant blue eyes seemingly beaming and her lips broaden into a light smile as the Crier continued to call out his name, annoyance now clear in his tone.

"I think you have to take this, Ianos," Aleeza whispered, the drunken tone of her voice sobering up, "This may make writing out the alliance easier."

Giving the female Warlock a glare, Ianos couldn't help but heave out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck before forcing himself onto his feet. Immediately, all eyes turned towards the male Awoken as he descended down the steps of his table before casually weaving around the tables in his way and ascending the steps towards the Crier. No sooner had he taken his place next to the Awoken, the Crier let out a single nod of satisfaction before turning his attention towards the throne and bowed. Deducing that it was a sign for the Queen to start descending, Ianos slowly turned and almost immediately, he was hit with surge of emotions. Which ones were elusive, but the most apparent was one of curiosity, and sensation only seemed to grow stronger as the Queen of the Reef slowly approached him before she finally closed the distance. Holding out her hand, Ianos stared quietly before it slowly dawned on him and reached out, tenderly taking the Queen's hand in his own and then leading her through the door and into what was apparently the ballroom. No sooner had he and Mara started taking steps forward that Ianos heard the sound of chairs scooting across the floor; a sign that the rest of the guests had followed suit. Stifling back a sigh, Ianos instead focused his attention onto his surroundings.

Like the dining area, walls of metal was in sight with the exception of the far wall which was made of glass, giving those who were present a sign of the violet mist of the Reef around them. Banners patterned with the symbol of Awoken royalty were tied around balconies around them followed by the floor, which held a single large emblem in the middle. Guessing that it was placed there obviously so that full view of the Queen and her dance partner could be present to everyone, Ianos reluctantly lead Mara to said emblem and almost immediately, soft music echoed through the room. Almost as if on cue, many of the Awoken around them quickly grabbed a partner, wrapping their fingers around each other's hand and waist before slowly circling around Mara and Ianos. Seeing only the familiar azure skins of Awoken, Ianos' eyes attempted to scan above their heads, the Warlock let out a silent curse at his failed attempt to spot his allies. Only Ace was visible in Ianos' sight and the Ghost was hovering safely above his shoulders. Where were the others?

"Is something the matter Guardian?" Ianos locked his orange hues onto Mara's; the amused smirk had not once left her pale features, "do you not know how to dance?"

His patience short, Ianos gave Mara a narrowed glance before intertwining his fingers around Mara's before pulling her close, just enough to wrap his free hand around her waist. Then almost mechanically, he started to lead, letting the pair sway back and forth as they moved in a circle of their own, ignoring the amused and sour looks from the surrounding guests. This caused the Queen to let out a small hum of amusement, "So it seems that you have danced before."

"Being a Guardian just isn't about being out on the field all day, 'your Highness'." Ianos forced out, "although, I have to admit, back before the City was built, there was a lot of 'free time' for Guardians then."

"So you're older than the City then?" Mara asked, her question quickly reigning Ianos into silence, "how interesting." Leaning her face even closer to Ianos, the Warlock cursed silently under his breath at the difference in height, the Queen easily towering the male Awoken by nearly half a foot, "Tell me Guardian, how did a Reefborn like you make it to Earth?"

His orange hues going wide at the Queen's question, the Warlock slowly regained his composure, the blank look on his expression returning, "I don't know," Ianos then saw the look in Mara's eyes waver; a sign that it was the not the answer she had expected, "If you were not informed, your highness, but when Guardians are resurrected, most if not all their memory are gone. It is extremely rare for a Guardian to be resurrected with all their memories intact."

"But memories do return nonetheless?" The Queen's retort once again caused Ianos to go silent, "and from what you had just told you, you have lived for 'years' Guardian, you must have some memory back."

"I wish it was that simple," Ianos muttered, earning a blank look from Mara, "but my circumstance is also … rare." Sensing the curiosity itching at the back of his head, Ianos continued, "There are Guardians who either gain their memories back in an almost nonexistent rate or their memories do not return at all. Like I have stated before, it's rare but it does happen."

Sensing Mara's curiosity peak, Ianos couldn't help but put some distance between him and the Awoken Queen, just enough to keep their dance in line but enough to put in some space between the two. This did not go unnoticed by the female Awoken, "Nervous, Guardian?"

Eyes narrowing, Ianos snapped, "It's Ianos." He then paused, "Your Highness."

"Then call me Mara, 'Ianos'." The Queen let out an amused smile at the bewilderment on the Warlock's face, "that way, we're both even."

"As you wish," Ianos muttered out, keeping his orange hues on Mara's face, "'Mara' Sov." It was strange, letting the name roll off of his tongue, a slight familiarity ringing from the name but yet foreign. At first, letting the cogs of his mind work, Ianos then glanced back into Mara's eyes and then saw the twinkle in her glowing azure hues, "You seem a bit… giddy when it comes to your name being spoken."

The soft smile on the Queen's features faltered, "Being Queen of the Reef, you have to show…dominance. But through that, many are too fearful to speak your name, calling you only 'The Queen', with the only exception during festivities such as this."

"And your brother?" Ianos asked, in which the Queen's eyes soften, nodding once, "And Uldren."

Taking note of the softness in her tone, Ianos continued to lead the Queen in their dance, twirling around each other and ignoring the eyes of the Awoken around them. However, not long after, something itched at the back of his mind, causing Ianos to pause on their dance and snap his attention towards Mara. At first, thinking that she was probing his mind for answers, the bewildered look on the Queen's face was enough to quickly make Ianos drop it. Feeling the itch pull him upwards, Ianos turned towards one of the many balconies overlooking the floor only for his eyes to widen at the familiar glint flashing against the lights.

Instinct immediately took over, Ianos unwrapping his arms around the Queen and pressed them against her abdomen, sending Mara to the floor. Before the sound of protests from the Awoken flooded his ears, a single shot rang through the air, drowning out the sound around the Warlock. Then, the last thing Ianos remembers was the sniper's bullet piercing through his head.

* * *

 _Cliffhanger anyone? lol  
_


	25. Chaotic

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Chaotic**_

 _Screw me for the title, I couldn't think of a better on =-=. Anyways, sorry for the late update, my work schedule was...screwed up. Might not be able to type as often as I use to. 'But' I'll still be able to make Monday updates...barely. Anyway, this chapter I am not too proud of. I don't know why but I'm just not. But enjoy nonetheless lol._

 _Thanks to Flamingmence, Lazypersons, Kaiser, and Guest for reviewing! Appreciate it! ^_^_

* * *

The three littermates had expected less when they followed Anikis and Inkolas, having expected their status as Eliksni would have affected their living space. To their surprise however, when the two Vandals escorted them through a door, they were met with a sight of a hall filled with many rooms as members of their race scurried around with supplies in hand or merely chattering with each other. Taking in the sight, the littermate's then eyed the other Fallen warily as they followed Anikis and Inkolas, Axtris snarling at any Eliksni giving the group narrowed looks. Finally, the group reached the end of the hall where a circular door stayed closed, a sign for Anikis to reach over and knock on.

" _Sir Variks, this is Anikis,"_ He started, his mandibles clicking together as he spoke, " _we have guests."_

" _Tell them I am busy."_

Clicking his mandibles together, Anikis turned four eyes back towards the three Vandals, only to pause at the growl emitting from the female Eliksni, " _Our guests are from the House of Spirits, Sir Variks."_

There was a pause before the sound of a chair skidding across the floor echoed through the silence followed by heavy footsteps and dull clunking. Then, moments later, the door slid open, and the group were greeted by a Fallen dressed in furs and green cloths. Although seemingly a Vandal, the Eliksni easily towers over the others, his four vibrant blue eyes staring at the three littermates in curiosity, the tilt of his head causing his mask of beads to follow his movement. His upper arms were also mechanical, proven when he shifted them to get a better grip of his staff, the familiar whirring of gears echoing through the air as Variks spoke, " _You are of House of Spirits, yes?"_

Having been startled by the Fallen's presence, Vellak was the first to shake off the shock, " _Y-Yes. And you are of House Judgement?"_

Earning a rumble and a nod as an answer, the oldest littermate couldn't help but let doubt linger in the back of his mind, not until his eyes wandered over to the light green tunic the Eliksni wore. Several white horizontal lines dashed across the front, followed by four circles on each side, all of which are infused into the lines to make it a whole and finished with simple strokes on each corner.

" _You doubt my status of part of House Judgement, yes?"_ Vellak snapped his attention back onto Variks, letting out a low rumble of apology as he gained a curious look from the larger Vandal, " _I do not blame you. Hard to believe, yes."_ Variks then brushed past the group of Vandals, his tunic brushing against their armor before he raised one of his mechanical arms and motioned for them to follow, " _I am the last of House Judgement. No other Eliksni part of house alive. Hard to maintain records alone."_

" _But you are not alone."_ Olkar blurted, earning a narrowed glance from his elder littermate, " _Vellak is Scribe of our House."_

This caused Variks to pause, the older Vandal turned and blinked, his luminescent blue eyes boring into the elder littermate, the latter of which gripped his staff tightly, " _You are Scribe?"_

" _House Spirits long ago believed House Judgement were a dead house,"_ Vellak mumbled, shrinking back from the older Vandal's gaze, " _we decided not to let any part of our people's history die, so our Kell nominated me to record what occurs."_

" _Then why are you here? And not with House?"_

" _Our Kell ordered us to follow the Guardian who made the alliance between House Spirits and Guardians possible,"_ Vellak noted to surprised look in Variks' eyes, " _not only to protect him, but to record events that surrounds him."_

A low rumble emitted from the older Eliksni, reaching up with one of his mechanical arms to tap the lower part of his jaw, " _Curious."_ Nodding his head to himself, Variks once more motioned for the group of Vandals to follow, turning around to lead the group down the hall, " _Awoken are having a celebration."_ Taking in a deep raspy breathe, Variks added, " _Only fair that we have a celebration as well."_

Letting out a rumble of curiosity, Axtris asked, " _Is that where we are heading?"_

Nodding his head once, Variks then came to a pause near one of the doors, waiting until it slid open before taking steps inside, signaling to the rest of the group to follow. The room they entered in held banners decorated with the emblem of the House of Wolves; the surviving Eliksni turning and stared at the newcomers as they passed through the crowd. Steps lined the walls of the room, giving a place for the Fallen to sit while they spoke, canisters of Ether spread around them alongside platters of meat, some of which already had bites taken out of them. Recognizing the familiar light green clad form of Variks, majority of the Eliksni went back to their chatter, while some eyed the unfamiliar white cloaks draped over the shoulders of the three littermates as the group followed Variks to the back of the room. Taking a seat on the steps, Variks motioned for the three littermates to follow in which they complied, then gave Inkolas and Anikis a nod, a sign for the Vandals to take a seat nearby.

" _So this Guardian that you are following,"_ Variks picked up a nearby Ether canister, reaching over to the packs around his waist and pressing a button, letting a small hissing sound emit between the group and an empty canister to slowly rise from the case, " _what reason is he here?"_

" _A treaty. With the Ashen ones,"_ Olkar responded, glancing over in time to see Axtris snarl at a pair of curious Dregs, startling them off, " _He and his team are here in order to forge an alliance."_

" _H'mm, curious,"_ Taking out the empty canister of Ether, Variks quietly slid the new one into his pack before pushing the container down, enabling it to slowly slide back into the safety of its pack, " _The Guardians are daring. To forge a treaty with the Queen."_

This caught Axtris' attention, " _Is it difficult?"_

" _It is not easy to get one the Queen's… good side."_ Variks rumbled, earning curious looks from the younger Vandals, " _she is not ruthless but she will grow…violent if she does not like what she sees."_

" _So Pure One and his friends are in trouble then?"_ Vellak grunted at the nod from the older Vandal, " _then our stay may be longer than we anticipated."_

" _Did you not bring enough Ether?"_ Variks mandibles clicked curiously at the shrugs from the younger Eliksni.

" _Originally Pure One brought enough for me,"_ The Eldest Littermate explained, _"However, 'these two' thought it a good idea to follow."_

Axtris gave her eldest littermate a glare, " _What? You can't exactly defend Pure One with that leg of yours."_

Almost immediately, a loud snarl emitted from Vellak, startling the female Eliksni enough that she scooted away from the elder literate, despite the fact that Olkar sat in between the two.

 _"Just because I am crippled does not mean I cannot defend myself,"_ Vellak hissed out, causing Axtris to lower herself to the floor in submission, although she herself let out a low growl in response to her brother's snarling.

" _Nothing to be angry about,"_ All eyes turned towards the larger Eliksni, the latter of which waved over a nearby Dreg. Moments later, said Dreg brought over several familiar glowing canisters, laying them down next to Variks' feet before wandering off, leaving the older Vandal to lean over and grab one of the Ether cans and handing one to Axtris. Seeing the puzzled look on the female Eliksni's face, Variks let out a dry chuckle as Axtris tentatively took the canister from the larger Vandal's grasp, " _Friends of Guardians. Friends of Variks."_ Reaching down to grab another canister, Variks this time handed it to Olkar, who was quick to grab the Ether can from the larger Eliksni, " _Ever since the Rebellion of the House of Wolves, there has been an…excess of Ether. There has been plenty around since; our remaining Servitors still processing the same amount before the coup."_

Seeing Variks hold out a canister, Vellak tentatively reach out and accepted the Ether, " _You must have great faith in this Queen to not detach to the Rebels."_

A laugh emitted from the larger Eliksni, earning more puzzled looks from the younger Vandals, " _That and the Queen has the aid of the Guardians."_ Picking up two more canisters of Ether, Variks held these two out to Inkolas and Anikis, both of which accepted the gesture, " _As you know, Guardians are powerful allies. Even a small faction can be of great aid when the time comes."_ Leaning against his staff, Variks added, " _I knew the instant the Queen sent the signal for aid that the Rebels will not stand a chance."_

" _So rule number one here, do not mess with the Queen,"_ Olkar stated, earning a chuckle from the older Vandal, " _Correct."_

Listening to Variks speak, questions popped into Vellak's head, the elder littermate's eyes beaming with curiosity as he opened his mandibles to learn more. However, this was interrupted as a screeching cry came from his side, causing the Vandal to snap his head to the source, his sight falling onto Axtris, his sister having pinned a Dreg underneath her; her luminescent eyes glowing menacingly as she snarled, " _How dare you touch my person!"_

" _Axtris!"_ Scrambling onto his feet, Olkar, quickly reached over and wrapped his arms around the female Eliksni's waist, causing her to kick and spit as her four arms reached out to the Dreg, the latter of which scooted away to widen the distance, " _Female! She's a female!"_

" _So what if I am!?"_ Axtris snarled as she gripped her four hands onto her brother's arm, pushing herself forward in a vain attempt to escape Olkar's grasps, " _that gives you no right to shove your hands under my armor you whelp!"_

" _Axtris! Calm down!"_ Feeling the female Eliksni struggle in his arms, Olkar waited until she slowly stilled, letting out a grunt as he lowered the Vandal back to the floor. He then turned his attention towards the Dreg, the latter of which scooted back even further from the male Eliksni's narrowed gaze, " _And what is this about 'intruding' upon my littermate's space?"_

" _I-I-I-"_ The dreg didn't get a chance to finish.

Suddenly, a staff swung towards the Dreg's head, causing a sickening 'crack' to echo through the air followed by the smaller Eliksni's shrieks of pain, the swing powerful enough to send the Dreg sprawling. As the Fallen curled up on the floor holding onto the side of his head, Vellak shifted his staff in his hands before turning his four eyes towards the Eliksni present in the room, " _Anyone else who violates my littermates 'or' harms them in any way, will have to deal with 'me'."_ Letting out a snarl, Vellak watched some of the Eliksni turned their gaze away, unable to link eyes with the Vandal, " _Do you understand!"_ The sudden raise in volume caused some of the present Fallen to jump in their seats, but from the way they immediately turned away avoiding eye contact, it was enough to the older Vandal that his message went through. Letting out a low growl, Vellak resumed his seat, narrowing his eyes at the wary glances he earned from Inkolas and Anikis.

" _Vellak,"_ The Vandal snapped his attention towards Variks, the older Vandal bowing his head slightly at the crippled Eliksni, " _I must apologize for the action of the House of Wolves, they are…estranged when it comes to female Eliksni."_

This caused the rumbling to stop from Vellak, the older Eliksni blinking once as Olkar resumed his seat next to his littermate, signaling to Axtris to do the same, " _What do you mean? Aren't females numerous here?"_

A low rumble emitted from the older Eliksni, earning another bewildered stare from the three Vandals.

" _What Sir Variks is trying to say is that there are no female Eliksni here in the Reef,"_ It was Anikis who spoke, earning startled looks from the three siblings, " _has been that way for years..."_

" _Wait,"_ Olkar glanced back and forth between the two Vandals, " _Then how-"_

" _Remember Eliksni live for many years, young one,"_ Variks pointed out, causing the Vandal to go silent, " _The Queen has been keeping a… tight hold on the Eliksni, especially after the Rebellion of House Wolves."_

" _That's why our numbers did not increase over the years,"_ Inkolas informed as the Vandal crossed his arms, letting out a low rumble as he added, " _no females, no capability to breed and, in the mind of the Queen, to create an army."_

Letting out a grunt, Vellak leaned against his staff as he stated, " _And how many years ago was that?"_

Anikis shrugged, " _I was born on the Reef just a few years 'after' the Reef Wars. When I matured, I saw no other signs of females with the exception of the few mothers who had been with child during the war."_

" _What happened to the mothers then?"_

Once again, Anikis shrugged, " _They were taken away not long after I have matured and we haven't seen them since."_

" _Most likely taken go the Prison of Elders,"_ Inkolas commented. Seeing the puzzled looks on the three Vandals, he added, " _It is both a prison and an arena. The Queen place all kinds of specimens in there. Cabal. Vex. Even of our own, Eliksni. From there, battles to the death occurs, specifically against Guardians."_

" _If the Guardians win, the survivors are sent back to their cages,"_ Anikis added, " _but if they are somehow victorious against the Guardians, then they are granted freedom and are allowed back to the Reef."_

A snort then emitted from the other Vandal, " _As you know of Guardians' prowess, you can imagine how often that occurs."_

" _Not often?"_ Olkar asked, earning a nod as an answer, " _So I imagine your views on Guardians aren't very…positive then?"_

Inkolas turned and gave Olkar a blank stare, " _What do you think, Olkar of the House of Spirits?"_

Shrinking back from the other Vandal's stare, Olkar let out a low rumble as Inkolas asked, " _Tell of this alliance of yours. Tell me of 'your' opinion on Guardians."_

Pausing at the other Vandal's words, Olkar clicked his mandibles together before he responded, " _I have to admit, I was unsure of them at first. They killed our mother and my littermates and I thought all Guardians were heartless, only caring for reclaiming their lost civilization. Then, I met Pure One and his comrades. They treated my surviving littermates and I with respect and accepted us into their 'family'."_ Sensing the doubt in Inkolas' gaze, Olkar continued, " _You doubt me now, Inkolas of House of Wolves, but I promise you that once you meet them, my words are filled with truth, no lies."_

" _I'll believe it when I see it,"_ Inkolas spat, " _With how Guardians are, I highly doubt this 'alliance' will last between them and your 'House'."_

" _What is with that tone of voice, Inkolas,"_ It was Vellak who spoke, his tone threatening as he added, " _Are you trying to imply something?"_

" _I am 'implying' that your House is nothing more than a fake,"_ The Vandal's words caused the littermate's bodies to go rigid, Axtris and Olkar letting out a low growl while as Vellak narrowed his eyes, " _An alliance? With the Guardians? What kind of House has the right mind to forge an alliance with a faction that had murdered our people for years?"_ Sensing the rage emitting from the group, Inkolas only scoffed, " _I know what kind of House would side with the Guardians. Cowards. Ones who are too weak to survive on their own!"_

No sooner had the words left his mandibles when a screeching cry echoed through the room and suddenly, Inkolas felt an impact into his chest, sending the Vandal sprawling onto his back onto the metallic floors. Dazed, Inkolas then felt hands on his shoulders, feeling them press down in order to pin him to the floor.

" _How dare you…"_ Inkolas looked into the enraged gaze of the female Vandal, " _Insult our House!"_

Axtris then let out another roar, bringing back one of her upper arms to swing a punch at the male Eliksni. Seeing this, Inkolas then proceeded to use his lower arms to shove the female Eliksni back, feeling the pressure of her hands leaving his shoulders as he scrambled back onto his feet. Although propelled back, Axtris easily landed back onto her feet, crouching low to the floor as she let out a snarl of anger before she lunged at him again. Anticipating this, Inkolas leaned to one side, feeling the cloak of the female Eliksni brush past his chest as she flew past him. Although, what he hadn't anticipated was for one of her lower hands to grab him by the back of his cloak. Feeling the piece of cloth tighten around his throat, Inkolas let out a choke before the momentum of Axtris' lunge finally pulled him back, sending the Vandal sprawling onto the floor once more. Feeling the floor vibrate from the female Eliksni's movement, Inkolas reached out with one of his hands, feeling his fingers wrap around an object before sitting up and swinging it towards the other Vandal. Having hoped to at least hit her Ether mask, Inkolas was disappointed to learn that his aim was way off and that the female Eliksni had taken a step back in time to dodge most of his makeshift weapon – and empty canister of Ether – to avoid any serious damage. But, Inkolas did feel the tip of the can come into contact with 'something' and after much deliberation, was able to deduce it was the side of her knee. However, instead of the familiar sensation of flesh and bone, instead, a slight 'clank' echoed through the room followed by a hissing sound, and suddenly, Axtris let out a screech of surprise as she fell to the floor followed by the screams of concern from her littermates. Although, the two male Vandal's screeching were lost in Inkolas' ears as he stared, shocked, at the female Vandal, who scrambled to reattach her leg, the machinations hidden by the leather boots she had worn around her legs.

 _A prosthetic?_ Inkolas thought to himself, his keen eyes catching the small gears finally latch onto each other, the limb reattaching to the limb with a click, _but how-_

He was interrupted when the female lunge at him again and this time, Inkolas was unprepared. Feeling his back slam onto the metal floor once more, the Vandal blinked several times to clear out the blurriness of the edges of his vision, once again looking into the narrowed eyes of the female Vandal. Then, an impact hit him on the jaw, feeling his head snap to the side from the hit. Before he could even process the hit, another came at him however from the opposing side and the force once again, strong enough to swerve his head to the side.

" _Axtris! Enough!"_

Feeling the weight of his chest leave, Inkolas then focused on propping himself up with his lower arms, using his upper arms to assuage the blurriness of his vision and the torrent of pain spreading from his jaw. Blinking just enough to clear out his sight, Inkolas looked up in time to see Axtris hitting the arms of her littermate, Olkar once again having wrapped his arms around her waist.

" _He insulted our House!"_ Axtris spat, " _He deserves it! He-"_

Then, to the shock to all present in the room, a trail of light popped out of the pack around Olkar's waist and came to a pause right in front of Axtris, yelling out in their tongue, " _Enough! What would your sire think if he sees you acting like this!? Especially during a top class operation that Pure One is currently on task?!"_

This caused Axtris to go still, her four eyes fixating onto the familiar star shaped object hovering in front of her as it continued to reprimand the female Eliksni. The object that Inkolas recognizes as the same ones constantly found hovering over the shoulders of Guardians. An object that many Eliksni would like to get their hands on. At first, curiosity peaked in the Vandal, his thoughts gathering in the back of his mind on how to take apart the small AI. Then, he noticed how nonchalantly the Ghost chastised Axtris, the female Vandal having went limp in her littermate's arms as she listened; Olkar letting out rumbles of disappointment at his littermate as he nodded in agreement to the small shard's words and Vellak calmly seated nearby, as if this was 'normal'. His thoughts processing the sight he saw before him, it took only Inkolas a moment to come to a conclusion: this Ghost was already theirs. And despite his words earlier, he was not going to attempt to steal from a group of Vandals that have Guardians watching their back. Although, apparently this was lost to several members of Eliksni present in the room, some of which were staring hungrily at the small hovering AI. Inkolas eyed one such Dreg sneaking up behind Olkar, keeping low to keep out of sight as he inched towards the Ghost.

" _Behind!"_

Inkolas yelled out the word before he could even realize what he was doing, recoiling back in surprise as his call of warning echoed through the room. Blinking in bewilderment, Inkolas can only watch as the Dreg instead took the warning as his opportunity and leaped forward, his small hands easily wrapping around the shell of the small AI, the latter of which let out a shrill cry at the action. Almost instantly, Olkar dropped Axtris, the male Eliksni reaching out with his hands in an attempt to grab the Dreg, but his fingers instead grabbed air as the smaller Eliksni weaved out of the way. It was then chaos broke loose.

Several of the Eliksni in the room jumped onto Olkar, the latter of which was seen as more of the threat thanks to his heavier set armor, the pile accumulating on the Vandal easily sending him to the floor. Axtris was fortunate enough to weave her way to refuge, making it to the top of the stairs just behind Variks and Vellak. The eldest littermate was almost immediately on his feet, leaning against his staff as he attempted to pry Eliksni away from his pinned littermate, the latter of which snarled and growled as he tried to shove them away. Even Variks was on his feet, shouting words incoherent to Inkolas, waving his hands and staff around in order to gain attention of the room in an attempt to calm the occupants down.

" _Olkar!"_

The small machine's voice echoed through the room, Inkolas snapping his head towards the source only to see the Dreg nearly at the exit. Pushing himself onto his feet, Inkolas found himself too slow as the small Eliksni reached the doors. However, to his surprise, Inkolas found the familiar form of Anikis reach the Dreg and with ease, grabbed him by the back of the collar and tossed them back in, earning a screeching cry of surprise in response. This tactic also caused the Dreg to lose their grip on the Ghost, the shard of the Traveler immediately rising up to the ceiling, a safe distance from prying hands.

" _That's enough!"_ The familiar sound of the end of a staff being slammed onto the ground resonated through the room, causing all eyes to turn towards Variks, the Vandal narrowing his vibrant eyes towards the his fellow Eliksni, " _Behave yourselves, or would you rather I report to the Queen of how you are currently treating our 'guests'?"_

This caused the Eliksni present, long enough for Olkar to shove several Fallen off of him, snarling as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

" _I believe our little 'festivity' is done,"_ Variks eyes were narrowed, disappointment could be seen in his gaze as he sighed, " _Come Eliksni of House Spirits, we can continue our chatter in my quarters, yes?"_ Then the older Vandal brushed past the Eliksni present in the room, causing them to move to the side and clear a path for the three younger Vandals, " _Ah yes, Anikis, you are in charge of…sorting out this mess, yes?"_

Sensing eyes on him, the Vandal bowed slightly, letting out a rumble as he nodded, the action enough to nod back and motioned for the three Vandals to follow once more. As they exited, Olkar turned and raised his hands, a sign for Trikxas to glide down into the safety of his grasp. Then, giving the room one more glare, Olkar turned and followed the others out.

The four Vandals walked in silence, even when they reached Variks' quarters, the older Vandal opening the door then motioning for the three littermates to walk in. As the three entered, they were met with a single desk and mattress, the former of which was piled with scrolls and parchment. Next to it, a console could be seen alongside with a box already filled with papers, all folded and filed neatly inside.

Walking past the three, Variks motioned for them to sit on the bed, in which they easily complied as the older Vandal took a seat on his desk, leaning his staff against it as he let out a low rumble, an Eliksni equivalent of a sigh, " _I apologize for that…outburst. You know how Eliksni are with Little Machines."_

" _Does not give them the right to take her away against her own volition."_ Olkar grumbled as he opened his palm, giving just enough space to let Trikxas out of his protective grasp, the Ghost spinning her back fins afterwards. Sensing Variks eyes on her, Trikxas glided over, pausing close enough for Variks to hold out his palm and let the Ghost nestle in, " _Is she-"_

" _She is not mine,"_ Olkar interrupted, his words causing Variks to blink, " _I am not her Guardian. I found her being attacked by the Dark Ones and I was able to snatch her and run to safety."_

" _Neither is she 'ours',"_ Vellak added in, " _she is here of her own will."_ Watching Trikxas turn her white optic towards the three Vandals, Vellak continued, " _if she wants, she can leave anytime."_

" _In which I am not going to do anytime soon,"_ Trikxas declared as she glided out of Variks' hand and hovered above Olkar's shoulder, " _at least not until I find my Guardian."_ She then eyed the heavy armored Vandal, " _Although I wish more than anything that you were 'mine'."_

Letting out a low rumble, Olkar held up his hand, letting the Ghost nestle into his palm, " _As I also wish that you were also 'mine'."_

Watching the Ghost and Eliksni, Variks tilted his head in slight curiosity, " _It seems you have a story to tell."_ Leaning forward in his seat, Variks then added, " _If you do not mind, I would like to hear it."_

Xxxxx

Pluto had immediately sensed something awry when they entered the ballroom, his years as a Hunter having helped sharpen his senses and even further when he taken away the use of his sight. But now, with is optics fully functionally and operating, he felt like his senses had been dulled and couldn't help but grumble in annoyance as he could sense something there but unable to pinpoint what.

"You too?"

Startled, Pluto turned his red optics towards Angel, the human Hunter shifting nervously on his feet as his green hues scanned the balconies, "Right when we entered this room, I felt like-"

"We are being watched, I know," Pluto heaved out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, closing his optics in an attempt to heighten his senses. It was then he recognized a shot of a sniper ringing through the air.

Snapping his optics back open, Pluto witnessed in time to hear the screaming nobles scramble away from the source, only to see the familiar black and orange form of Ace hovering over their Guardian's body. At first puzzled, Pluto's optics scanned downwards, only to curse silently as he recognized the familiar entrance wound on Ianos' forehead before reaching up with his hand, a sign for Nix to transmat his scout rifle into his grasp, "Guard up! One of us is down!"

"What?!" It was Carina, the female Exo's voice nearby but out of sight behind the bodies of panicked Awoken, "Oh fuck! Well, we finally get to see Ianos die for once."

"Not really the time, love!" Aleeza's voice rang after, although her tone held a hint of amusement as Pluto spotted the familiar white strands popping out of the crowd, "Although, things just got a bit more exciting, don't you think?!"

"You mean like an assassination attempt?! Pft, yeah!" Pluto heard Akiva let out a snort, "Well, shall we find them before they cause any more trouble?!"

"Careful, there could be more than one!" The Exo Hunter warned as his red optics glanced upwards, just in time to glimpse the familiar glint of a sniper rifle. Following its line of sight, Pluto's gaze paused upon the Queen, the latter of which was already surrounded by Awoken Guards, her brother yelling out incoherent words nearby as he tried to guide his sister to safety, "Update, target is the Queen! Akiva! Carina! You two try to get to the Queen as soon as you can! Angel! Aleeza! You're with me! 'Our' target is up on the balconies!"

"But! What about our armor!?"

"No time!" Pluto responded, easily sensing the wariness from the human Hunter, "Transmat your weapons in! And keep a close eye on your Ghost! That's the best we can do at this point!" Letting his optics scan around the room, Pluto's gaze fell upon stairs spiraling upwards, "This way! We have to hurry if we want to capture them! At least one if more than one assassin is involved!"

"Is it because they might get away!?"

"No!" Pluto responded to Aleeza's question, sensing the quizzical look he received from the female Warlock behind his back, "We have to get to them before Ianos does!"

"Huh!? Why?!" The human Hunter's question caused Pluto to pause and turn, causing his two Fireteammates to stop and give the Exo a puzzled look, "Let's just say whoever kills Ianos, he 'will' come back with a vengeance. And that does not limit to Guardians in the Crucible."

Seeing the wide eyed looks from the younger Guardians, Pluto then added, "So, if we want a chance to capture this assassin 'alive', then we better hurry before Ianos resurrects." With his words spoken, Pluto started up the stairs once more, leveling his scout rifle at ready. Coming to a pause at the top and sighting a hallway, the Exo Hunter lifted a hand to signal to the others to stop before leaning in and peering around the corner. The familiar sound of a trigger clicking against metal was enough to make Pluto pull back, the bullet of a sniper brushing past him and slamming into the wall next to him.

"Well, we found one," Aleeza chuckled nervously as Pluto grumbled under his breath, readying his scout rifle as he dashed out into the open. The instant he sighted the dark clad figure of the assassin, Pluto aimed and fired, only to curse loudly as his shot ricochet against the wall next to his intended target. Rolling back into cover, Pluto once again heard the familiar fire of another sniper shot, this one hitting the wall as well.

"You missed?" It was Angel who commented on Pluto's accuracy, earning a narrowed glance from the Exo, "But, you never miss."

"Hold that thought," Pluto motioned for Nix to come closer, the viridian Ghost have been hovering near the back with the others – keeping an eye out for enemies while placing their Guardians as a shield from attacks in the front, "Nix, get out my knife."

Immediately, the Ghost sputtered out, "How many times do I have to say it!? No need to do it the old fashion way!" Sensing his Guardian recoil at his words, Nix heaved out a sigh as he added, "Here." Sending out his scans to find Pluto's head, Nix silently glided over and sent out a beam of light just behind his ears and almost immediately, darkness engulfed the Exo Hunter's vision before the familiar black and white images took its place. He then heard Nix spin his back parts, "Better?"

Pluto nodded once, "Better." He then dashed out into the open, hearing Nix glide over his shoulder before his scans flashed into his optics, the black and white imaging showing the silhouette of the assassin at the other end of the hall. Without hesitation, Pluto aimed his scout rifle and fired and this time, a single cry rang out throughout the hall, Nix's scans eventually sending him the image of the assassin sprawled onto their back, their hand over his shoulder. Sensing the assassin struggling to get back onto their feet, Pluto immediately crouched and propelled himself forward, quickly closing in the distance between himself and the assassin. Waiting until he was just several feet from them, Pluto transmat his weapon back into his vault and then launched himself towards them, wrapping his arms around their waist as he slammed them into the ground and then climbed onto their chest. Holding up his hand, Pluto felt the familiar handle of his knife before he placed it on the neck of the assassin, feeling them freeze underneath him, "How many of you are there?"

Listening to the assassin's heavy breathing, Pluto tilted his head slightly, before he added, "I don't have the patience for this right now."

He then placed pressure onto his knife before sliding it down the side of the assassin's neck, earning a yelp in response as it easily penetrated the thin cloth and into skin, drawing blood, "Are you the only assassin or are there others?"

"What do you think?"

Hearing a second voice, Pluto waited until Nix's scans sent him the image of another figure in front of him, this one holding him at gunpoint. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Pluto's free hand gathered void energy into his palm, feeling the familiar solidarity of his smoke grenade forming. However, before he could toss the small grenade at the second assassin, a shot rang through the air, startling the blind Exo as he recoiled, half expecting the shot to be coming from the other's gun. But when the second assassin collapsed and fell to the side, Nix's scans then revealed behind Pluto that Angel had taken his own sniper out, revealing the human Hunter to be in a crouching position, his sniper rifle still in hand.

Holding up a hand as a sign of thanks, Pluto then returned his focus onto the assassin below him, letting the void energy within his hand die as he asked, "Are there others?" Leaning in so that he could feel the breath of the assassin against his face, Pluto then added, "My patience is running thin." Once again only gaining silence as an answer, Pluto lifted himself up, removing his knife from the assassin's throat, "Fine then." Flipping his knife around in his hand so that the blade faces downwards, Pluto raised his weapon and without hesitation, stabbed it into assassin's shoulder. A scream followed soon after.

"Okay! Okay!" The assassin choked out underneath him, the Exo Hunter recognizing the familiar accent of the Awoken and clearly male, the tone filled with fright as he added, "I-It's just the three of us! We were all contracted to kill the Queen!"

Pluto narrowed his blind optics, "Why?"

"What do you think?" The Awoken assassin spat, "Treaty? With the Guardians? After so many years of doing well on our own? We have no need of aid from 'corpses'." Another cry escaped the assassin as Pluto twisted the knife, his optics flaring up with fury, "Oh? Tell me how did you expect to fight back against the House of Wolves? If it weren't for us 'corpses', their 'Kell' would have united all Houses and what then? You and your precious Reef would have been decimated easily."

"We have no need of you," The assassin hissed back, "We could easily handle our own problems. We just needed the Queen out of the way so that this so called 'treaty' won't come into existence."

"And killing one of our own?" Pluto twisted his knife slightly, earning a groan from the Awoken Assassin, "He put himself in harm's way. If it wasn't for him, my comrade could have easily taken out the Queen."

"Him?" Pluto nodded his head towards the second assassin's body.

"No, the third one of our party," The Assassin grunted, "Why?"

An amused smirk faded onto Pluto's metallic features, "Well, for your partner's sake, you better pray that someone else besides my 'friend' finds him. He is quite …ruthless when it comes to those who 'take him out'."

"Oh good, you Guardians aren't 'completely' unnecessary."

Recognizing the tone as the Prince's, Pluto easily unhinged his knife from the Assassin – ignoring the obvious yelp from said assassin- slid off of him, pushing himself onto his feet, before reaching down and forcing the Awoken Assassin onto his feet, gaining a grunt as a response.

"Oh, nice of you to finally join us 'Prince' Uldren," Pluto forced out a smile at the Awoken Prince, hearing the familiar footsteps followed by multiple others, "Here's one alive." He then shoved the Assassin towards the group of Awoken, "A 'gift'." Sensing the Prince grab the Assassin mid shove, Pluto easily could feel the fury emanating from Uldren before the Awoken man shoved the Assassin towards the guards behind him, "Take him away. 'I' will deal with him later."

Waiting until the guards left with their prisoner in tow, Pluto sensed Uldren turn his focus on him and his team, "Let me guess, that body there-"

"Is the other assassin," Pluto finished, as he cleaned his knife against the side of his leg before holding it up for Nix to transmat back into his vault, "There is one more on the loose by the way."

"Figures," Uldren scoffed but nonetheless added, "The Queen is safe if you were wondering. If it wasn't for your comrade's 'sacrifice', she wouldn't have made it. As such, us Awoken, we… 'owe' you now. Another… 'favor' if you can understand."

"Oh we understand," Pluto couldn't help but let the smugness show through his tone, "We'll call when we 'need' this favor, 'Prince'."

Easily sensing the scowl from the Awoken Prince, Pluto couldn't help but let out a chuckle before he turned his attention towards Aleeza and Angel, "Let's spread out and find this last Assassin shall we? We can cover more ground."

Xxxxx

"Can't believe we have to look around for this assassin 'without' your armor."

Angel couldn't help but let out a smile at his Ghost's words as she continued, "Isn't it a bit risky? To find an 'assassin' without protection? I mean, I know this assassin isn't a Guardian but a non-Guardian can easily kill one 'permanently' if you know what I mean?"

"I understand your concern, Hope," Angel stated as he readied his hand cannon as he turned a corner, nodding his head in satisfaction as the hall was clear, "but you know as well as I do that we do not have 'time' to gear up."

The Hunter heard his Ghost let out a huff, "Doesn't mean I can't worry you know?"

Smiling at his Ghost's words, Angel stated, "Speaking of, have the others seen Ianos yet? He wasn't at the ballroom the last time we checked."

Hope shook her core side to side, "No. Not yet. Pluto did say he tends to be…disoriented when he resurrects. But do not worry, we will bump into him…hopefully."

Heaving out a sigh, Angel let out a strained smile as he added, "Well, I guess before we worry about that, let's find this assassin first. Before they-"

The human Hunter was interrupted when he an impact hit his jaw, sending him flying back onto the floor. Groaning, all Angel could hear was Hope calling out his name, only for her to let out a shrill cry after. Snapping his eyes open, Angel attempted to push himself up only to feel a pressure press against his chest, pushing the Hunter back onto the floor.

"Looking for me?"

Green eyes glancing upwards, Angel could feel his heart stop in his chest as he stared into glowing hues, "You're the final one."

Letting out a grunt, the Assassin held up his hand, only for Angel to push himself up as his eyes spotted the familiar white and red form of Hope struggling in the Awoken's grasp, only to be pushed back down by the Awoken Assassin.

"You know, I expected more from a 'Guardian', supposed 'Soldiers of the Light'." The Assassin sneered as his grip tighten around Hope's shell, earning a small squeak from the Ghost, "To be taken down so easily, what a joke."

Angel then heard a click, causing the human Hunter to glance over to the Assassin's other hand, only to spot the familiar form of a side arm. At first, unconcerned, Angel's eyes widen when the Awoken shifted the aim of his weapon from the Hunter to the Ghost held in his hand, causing the AI to immediately freeze in his grasp.

"All I have to do is shoot this machine, correct?" The Awoken smiled, "and once it is gone, I can kill you and you stay dead, right?"

When Angel remained silent, the Assassin snorted, "Well shall we figure that out then?"

Seeing the Assassin press his finger on the trigger, Angel let out a cry, reaching out his arms in a vain attempt to reach Hope, the latter of which struggled desperately. Almost immediately, the human Hunter was blinded, a bright flash of blue overcoming his vision followed by a shout of surprise from the Awoken assassin. Feeling the pressure on his chest leave, Angel scooted backwards, putting the distance between himself and the Awoken.

"Angel!"

Blinking several times, Angel's eyes cleared just enough to recognize the familiar star shaped form of Hope, the Ghost's green optics blinking several times back at her Guardian. Then without a word, Angel reached out, wrapped his fingers around Hope's shell and brought her close to his chest, clenching her tightly as he whispered, "You're alright." Letting out a sigh of relief, Angel's green hues glanced around, only for the edges of his vision to see a spark of arc energy. Puzzled, the human Hunter shifted his gaze towards the source, only to pause, his eyes going wide at the sight before him.

In front of him stood Ianos, the Awoken Warlock dressed in full gear as he held the Awoken Assassin off the floor. What caught Angel's attention though, was the arc light spilling from the Warlock's body, the light scorching the wall, floor, and even ceiling of the hall. Watching Ianos let arc light flow from his fist, Angel couldn't help but gawk as the Awoken Warlock snarled, "You killed me." Then without another word, Arc light surged through Ianos' arm and immediately, the Assassin started screaming, kicking as the light surged through his body, sparks of light exploding off his skin. Then, the instant the arc light engulfed the Assassin, Ianos let loose of his grip, just in time for the outline of the Awoken's body to fade, the arc energy dissipating. Angel then saw the rigidness of Ianos' shoulders relax, the Warlock lowering his hand back to his side as the Arc light faded, leaving nothing more but small sparks forming around his arms.

"I-Ianos?" Angel stuttered out, only to freeze as Ianos snapped his gaze towards the human Hunter, the Warlock reeling back as if he had just noticed the younger Guardian. Quickly regaining his composure, Ianos then asked, "How are the others?"

"They were searching for the last assassin," Angel responded, warily keeping his eyes on the Awoken Warlock as he pushed himself onto his feet, letting Hope glide out of his hands.

"Well, since I found him, then there's no need to keep searching," Ianos stated as he held out his palm, the familiar black and orange shape of Ace materializing into view, "Let's send the others a message that we're done."

"Uhm, yeah," Angel shifted nervously on his feet as Ianos sent the frequency, continuing to keep a sharp gaze at the Warlock as the Veteran Guardian turned his focus away from the frequency and then stated, "Now that's out of the way. The Queen also sent a message."

The human Hunter reeled from Ianos' word, "She what?"

"She is grateful for saving her life," Ianos continued as Ace flew out of his palm and over his shoulder, "The Queen states that once we gather ourselves to meet her in the throne room." He then shifted his gaze onto Angel, "She is ready to finalize the treaty."

* * *

 _I don't know, is it just me or does the ending feel...rushed?  
_


	26. The Making

_**Tormented**_

 _ **The Making**_

 _I really need to think up of better titles for these chapters lol. Anyways, slightly late update for the reason I was farming Iron Banner like 'crazy' but I have to say the work was worth it. Got my main Guardian (Ianos eheheh) to 330 (332 with the best gear) and got my other two Guardians to 328 and 320. Hopefully it'll be enough for Rise of Iron :D.  
_

 _Also heads up, I am still accepting OCs for future chapters. Amazingly, these submissions are helping me gain more ideas and helping my story move in a smoother transition than I had anticipated. So keep them coming!_

 _Thanks to Nv34 for the review! Appreciate it! ^_^_

* * *

"Hey, Akiva."

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Titan turned his head, only to meet his gaze with the familiar green hues of the human Hunter, "Oh, Angel. Is something the matter?"

The human Titan watched Angel fidget, wringing his hands in front of him nervously as he continuously glanced back at Ianos, the latter of which had seated himself on the floor and flicking through the screen that his Ghost had summoned, "Has Ianos always been…ruthless when he kills someone? Especially after resurrection?"

Angel's question caused Akiva to pause, his golden eyes staring blankly at Angel before turning his focus towards the others. After gathering everyone, the team made it the entrance of the throne room before they were stopped by the royal guards, claiming that the Queen was 'setting up' for the treaty. As such, the Guardians were stuck outside of the entrance, waiting until the news of the preparation of the treaty was ready to reach their ears. This let the Guardians have the time to switch into 'appropriate' gear, transmating their armor back on before going off into their own corners; Pluto was seated on the floor next to Ianos, fixing his blindfold as he added in random comments to whatever action the Warlock was working on and gaining retorts in return; Aleeza and Carina were also seated on the floor, their hands wrapped around each other's as they leaned their heads against their shoulders, their intimacy gaining obvious looks from the royal guards; Akiva and Angel had taken to standing and leaning against the walls, a preference in case things go awry and they're ready to jump into action.

Turning his attention back towards Angel, Akiva let out a sheepish smile as he asked, "Why don't you ask Pluto? He's known Ianos 'way' longer than I have."

"Well I normally would but…" Angel nodded his head at Ianos, the Warlock finally turning and now engrossed in a conversation with Pluto and from the way he was gesturing towards the screen emitting from his Ghost, it was the topic he had been looking up upon. Seeing the nervous glances from the human Hunter, Akiva guess, "You saw him kill the assassin, correct?"

When the Hunter nodded, Akiva heaved out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I understand where you're coming from but if you want an honest answer, it is not uncommon as you think."

This earned the Human Titan a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Ianos is not the only Guardian to be so 'disoriented' when they resurrect," Akiva responded, earning a gawking look from the Hunter, "Look, I know you have no problems with resurrection but you do know the 'discomfort' of dying and coming back? It is not at all 'pleasant' and some have different tolerance to it than others." Nodding his head towards Ianos, Akiva added, "There are some like Ianos who 'hates' the feel of death and this sparks a 'rage' inside of them, especially so after they're brought back." Humming to himself, the human Titan reminisced, "Back when Ianos use to partake in the Crucible, I recall many times when he would resurrect in fury, his solar light aflame as he goes around the arena decimating the opposing team, especially the one who had killed him in the first place."

"Wait, solar light?" This caught Angel's attention, "But I thought-"

"Like Pluto and I have stated before, all Veteran Guardians have 'scars', Ianos is no different," Akiva interrupted, his narrowed gaze reigning Angel into silence, "Yes, Ianos use to be a Sunsinger but that mission on the moon changed all that. Afterwards, he devoted his time to learning void light." Akiva's features then softened before he shrugged, "Although there are times when he would come back with arc light in hand, which is quite strange since he almost has no control over it."

Akiva's words earned a puzzled stare from the human Hunter, "But when I saw him kill that Assassin, it looked like he had perfect control."

The human Titan let out a snort at this, "He may look like he had control but you saw him in a 'rage'. Let me ask you, what happened to his arc light 'after' he killed the assassin?"

Letting the cogs in his mind work, Angel's eyes widen as he came to the realization, "It disappeared."

Akiva nodded, "His arc light reacts to his emotions in which you know, it can be hazardous if not brought under control." Rubbing the back of his neck, the human Titan heaved out a sigh, "I recall too many times where Guardians let their emotions get the better of them and they lose control of their light, which can lead up to not only their own deaths but of those around them as well."

"So that means that Ianos is an unstable walking power source?" Angel's question gained him a shrug from the human Titan, "Only if he is affiliated with arc light which is rarely." Akiva then paused, as he added, "Although Ianos did admit that he was going to learn how to wield it. Soon he claims although how soon is up in the air at the moment."

"Was that before the death of…you know?" Angel nodded his head once again to Pluto and Ianos, both of which was now peering at Ace's screen.

Blinking once, Akiva glanced back and forth between the human Hunter and the pair before he nodded, "If you want an honest answer, mostly. But Ianos did have the intent to learn how to control it 'after' but time and grief is holding him back."

"Grief?" Angel repeated, his green hues glancing back towards the Warlock and Hunter, both of which were still flicking through the screen, "That moon mission was 'years' ago, correct? Wouldn't he have gotten past it by now?"

A heavy sigh was the response the young Hunter received, however a small but sad smile flashed onto Akiva's pale features, "You know as well as I do that Ianos is 'years' old, Angel, and he had went through numerous Fireteams, all of which he had seen as comrades and family. It's not a simple matter to get over that many deaths in a short amount of time. Especially when it comes to – " The Titan's words came to a sudden pause as the familiar sound of metal scraping against each other rang through the air, followed by hissing as the attention of the Guardians turned towards the door, their gaze meeting the familiar form of an Awoken guard standing at the entrance.

"The Queen's ready for you." That was all the Guard said as she motioned for them to follow before turning and walking away, not even waiting to see if the Soldiers of Light were behind her.

Glancing back at Akiva, Angel saw the Titan give the Hunter a sheepish smile before he pushed himself off the wall and followed the Awoken soldier. Watching the others push themselves up from their seat and following the Guard, Angel couldn't help but let one thing wander into the back of his mind as he followed his team.

When it comes to what?

Xxxxx

The first thing that popped into the Soldiers of Lights mind was how the throne room changed so drastically. The walkway was gone, replaced with a floor that hid any sign of it and the throne itself was missing. Instead, a long table took its place with empty seats; the Queen took the head of the table seated in her throne, the amused smile still on her lips as her brother stood next to her, ever vigilant.

"I must thank you for earlier, Guardians," Mara spoke as the Guardians took their seat, "If it wasn't for your 'sacrifice', my life would have ended prematurely."

"You seem unnaturally calm for someone who almost got assassinated," Pluto couldn't help but frown, his tone clearly filled with suspicion and annoyance as he added, "Let me guess, this happens often?"

Instead of an immediate answer, Mara simply tilted her head, the bemused smirk not once leaving her features, "There are many Noble Houses here on the Reef. Many of which would like a chance at the throne."

"And if you were out of the way, it gives them a chance to claim it?" Ianos asked, heaving out a sigh at the slight nod from the Queen, "Typical."

"Nonetheless, I appreciate what you have done, Guardians." Mara stated, "and as such, we owe you not only this treaty but another favor as well. If you ever need our aid, you are free to contact us."

Giving the Queen a look of doubt, Pluto stayed silent before he let out a single nod, "I'll notify the Vanguard. Who knows, they might have a plan for this 'favor' and if not, they will definitely find a use for it in the future."

"This is a 'personal' favor, Guardians," The Queen stated, earning puzzled stares from the Soldiers of Light, "since this treaty will be taking into effect, aid from both parties will always be constant. However, if you need aid 'personally', I am more willing to help.

"A 'reasonable' favor I hope," Uldren scoffed, his yellow hues glaring at the Guardians, "Now, this treaty…"

Glowering at the Prince, Pluto instead followed Nix's scans and fixated his blind gaze onto the Queen, "As I have stated before, this treaty will help ensure trade and a formal alliance between the Tower and the Reef. As long as there are no violence towards the other, war will never be declared on the other and trade on both sides will be opened."

"And what do you have to offer us?" Uldren asked.

"I can imagine resources such as food and water is hard to come by in an environment such as this, correct?" The Exo Hunter stated, causing the Prince to pause, "but I can imagine you have an 'excessive' amount of information and weaponry."

Sensing the glare from the Awoken Prince, Pluto continued, "In exchange for your weaponry and information, we'll give you the needed supplies to keep your populace satisfied, how does that sound?"

"Weaponry we can exchange, but 'information' is out of the question," Uldren scowled, "there is a reason why we are wary of outsiders, 'Guardians'."

"We can also exchange information between both parties if that would make things easier," Pluto compromised, "and this information may only be exchanged between the 'heads' if you understand. They'll be the only ones privy of sensitive topics if that helps."

"Now why would-"

"I find that understandable, don't you agree, Uldren?" Mara turned her vibrant azure gaze towards her brother, the small smile on her lips still visible as the Prince gave her a bewildered look. Nonetheless, Uldren grumbled under his breath before he let out a reluctant nod, "Very well. Anything else?"

"Not at the top of my mind," Pluto admitted, "However, do you have anything to add into this treaty?" When he sensed the blank stares from the Royal Awoken, the Exo quickly added, "You think that we were not considering your benefits for this treaty as well? We are not cold hearted despite our…'previous' status." The Hunter then leaned back in his seat, "So, anything you want to add to our little 'alliance'?"

The two Awoken glanced at each other, their vibrant hues silently reaching each other before they broke contact and it was Uldren who spoke, "We would also like the assistance of your Fallen friends."

"Eliksni," Angel blurted out, his words quickly ignored as the Prince added, "It is true that we have our own… 'House' however, yours seem more 'organized' and more in number than the ones currently under our rule."

"We don't 'own' them," All eyes turned towards the human Hunter, the latter of which was glaring at the Prince, "Just like how we are working an alliance with you, they are 'allies', not some war prisoners to be used as laborers." Keeping his gaze narrowed, Angel then added, "If you want their help, you have to 'ask' them yourself."

The Hunter's words caused the Awoken Prince to let out an amused smirk, "Oh, we know of your relationship with the Eliksni. And we also know that 'you' are the epicenter of it all. You can simply ask and they will do whatever 'you' say."

"That is not against their will," Angel growled, "I am 'not' going to force them into a treaty that they 'may not' want to partake in."

"You are talking as if they will already refuse," Uldren scoffed, "Why not ask them first before making the decision for them?"

Gritting his teeth, Angel abruptly stood up from his seat, his eyes flaring up with fury as his hand reached down to the knife sheathed across his chest. However, before he could even lift his weapon, a hand clamped down onto his wrist, causing the Hunter to snap his gaze towards Akiva, the latter of which gave Angel a look of warning before prying the human's grasp away from his weapon and pulled him back down onto his seat.

"I understand you're upset," Akiva murmured, "but calm yourself just a bit longer. We're almost out of here."

Giving the Titan a look of doubt, Angel gave Uldren one last glare before motioning for Hope to glide over, the latter of which hovered his shoulder momentarily before complying. Watching her Guardian hold out a hand, the Ghost glanced up at the Hunter, "You sure this is a good idea?"

"Like Prince Stick up his ass said, it won't hurt to ask," Angel muttered, although his words caused Hope to let out a small snicker before she scanned her Guardian's palm, letting a familiar spherical shape take form in his grasp. This immediately caught Uldren's attention, "What is that?"

"It's not a weapon if that is what you are thinking," Angel quickly declared as he held up the object, "it's the only line of communication I have with the House of Spirits and if you do not mind, I am going to 'try' and get a line." Bringing it close to his chest, Angel pressed his fingers onto certain circular patterns on the objects, the buttons glowing as his fingertips caressed the surface. Not long after he stopped, the object floated into the air and its parts clicked apart, flashing up a screen which built up static. Leaning against his seat, Angel waited in anticipation before the screen suddenly lit up, revealing the familiar scarred features of an Eliksni, her four glowing eyes softening at a familiar face.

" _Pure One,"_ She rumbled out, shifting her position just enough so that Angel could get a better view of the Kell.

Seeing her in full view, Angel couldn't help but let out a smile as he dipped his head slightly, " _Ixrsis."_

Unlike the year before, the female Eliksni was now larger in size, her shoulders broader and taller in height. Her Ether mask and her exposed eyes were painted with white and gray paint, colors of her house, with her shoulders adorned in white feathers followed by the respective cloak emblazoned with wings. In her hands, she carries a shrapnel launcher, placed idly in her lap as she sat on the hearth, her back leaning against rock as she stared into the screen.

" _How are you-"_

Angel's words were interrupted as arc fire shot past behind Ixrsis' cover, causing the female Eliksni to turn her head and snarl, " _Excuse me a moment, Pure One."_

Then with a roar, Ixrsis leaped over the rock, the familiar sound of shrapnel shots as she shouted, familiar white and silver cloaked Fallen screeching as they shot past the camera, causing the everyone present in the throne room to go silent, listening to nothing but the gunfire echoing in the background. Moments later, silence filled the room, causing Angel to take in a breath as he waited, only letting out a sigh of relief when the familiar white and silver clad figure appeared back into view; her armor scorched but nonetheless unharmed.

" _I apologize, Pure One."_ Ixrsis sat back down onto the hearth, placing her weapon back down next to her as she fixated her four eyes back onto the communicator, " _Ever since the formation of House of Spirits, House Devils grew ever more vigilant to be 'one' once more, yes."_

Angel couldn't help but let a smug smile fade onto his tan features, " _But let me guess, you always beat them back?"_

An amused rumble emitted from the female Eliksni, " _What else do you think would happen, Pure One?"_

Chuckling, Angel felt a slight tap onto his shoulders, causing the Hunter to turn and fixate his gaze onto Akiva, the latter of which nodded his head up towards the throne. Following the Titan's gesture, the human Hunter immediately understood when his gaze locked onto the Prince's yellow hues, annoyance clearly seen in his eyes.

" _I apologize Ixrsis, but I have to make this quick,"_ Angel heard the rumble of disappointment from Ixrsis, " _But do not worry, when I return to the Tower, I will contact you again."_

The Kell seem to perk up at this, " _Whatever do you need, Pure One?"_

" _An alliance,"_ Angel could see the bewildered look in the female Kell's eyes, " _With the Awoken."_

Watching Ixrsis tilt her head slightly, Angel could see the female Eliksni's eyes widen and almost immediately, a snarl emitted from the back of her throat, " _Why would I trust those slavers? I will 'not' work with anyone who enslaved my people! No!"_

" _That is what I was trying to tell them,"_ The Hunter heaved out a sigh, " _but it seems the Awoken want your alliance as well into this 'treaty' that we were working between us and them."_ Glancing back at the Prince, Angel could see the impatience in his eyes before focusing his attention back onto the screen, " _and it seems they won't take 'no' as an answer."_

Ixrsis let out another snarl, her four eyes narrowing before they closed, her shoulders sagging as she let out a sigh, " _Fine, I will form alliance with Awoken, yes."_ Opening up her eyes, she then added, " _Let me speak to 'Awoken'. 'I' also want to work my way into this 'alliance'. Yes?"_

Nodding his head, Angel reached out and tapped the side of the spherical communicator, causing the screen to shift towards the Queen and Prince. Seeing the pair appearing in her screen, Ixrsis dipped her head, letting out a low rumble before she stated, "I am Ixrsis, Kell of House of Spirits; Protector of my people, and friend of the Guardians." Her eyes then narrowed, "I heard you want my House into this alliance as well, correct?"

Seeing the Prince open his mouth to respond, Ixrsis quickly butted in, "Normally I would refuse, but on the behest of Angel and his friends, I will accept 'however' there is one condition." Propping her arms on her knees, Ixrsis added, "I would like all Fallen liberated under your control to join my House."

This earned the Kell a startled look not only from Uldren, but also the Guardians, "W-What? You expect us to simply give up – "

"You want an alliance? Then that is my 'request'," Ixrsis snarled, "Otherwise, I will 'not' agree to forge an alliance with the Awoken. In honesty, I will make you an 'enemy' if you refuse, despite what the Guardians will say."

The low growl of the female Eliksni echoing through the room, Uldren turned and focused his attention onto Mara, the latter of which's amused smile was long gone and was fixated with a blank look, her vibrant blue eyes staring blankly at the female Kell. Expecting a resistance, to the surprise of everyone present, the Queen simply waved her hand and let out a single nod, "Then it shall be given. As soon as this alliance is forged, printed on paper 'and' saved in data, we shall send ships of Fallen to your House."

"And the ones being hold at the Prisoners of Elders?" Ixrsis asked. This earned the female Eliksni a small glare from the Queen.

"We shall perform a…'screening' to seek out those who were 'sentence' to the Prison. But those who 'pass' will be sent to your House as well."

Ixrsis nodded her head in satisfaction, "Very well, then consider my House and your 'Awoken' now in an alliance. Unless stated otherwise." The communicator then turned to face Angel, giving Ixrsis time to bow low to Angel, " _I shall wait for your call, Pure One."_

Angel returned the bow, " _I will not make you wait long, Ixrsis."_

Her eyes lifting, Ixrsis let out a low chuckle before the screen buzzed and then dissipated, causing the spherical object to drop back onto the table with a dull 'clunk' and rolling back into Angel's grasp. Holding up the object to let Hope scan it back into the Vault, Angel couldn't but smugly smile at the Prince, "So, anything else?"

This in turn earned the human Hunter a small smack on the shoulder from Akiva, but when Angel quickly glanced back at the Titan, he could barely see the smallest glint of amusement in the older Guardian's eyes. Sensing the glower from the Awoken Prince, Angel fixated his attention back onto the Royal Pair, Uldren glancing back at his sister who let out a single nod.

"That is all we have. For now." The Prince announced, the scowl on his features more clear than ever, "We shall continue tomorrow, to ensure that we have not missed 'anything' when it comes to its finalization. For now, we shall end this 'meeting'." Uldren waited until the Guardians pushed themselves up from their seat, "Except for you, 'Reefborn'."

All eyes paused onto Ianos, the latter of which snapped his gaze towards the two Royal Awoken, "And for what reason?"

"We will give you an answer." Uldren gave the rest of the Guardians a glare, "In 'private'."

"Ianos." Pluto started but the Warlock held up a hand, causing the Exo Hunter to pause, "I can handle this."

"You sure?" Aleeza voiced her concern, "By yourself?"

Ianos let out a small snort, "Who said I was going to be alone?" As if on cue, Ace glided over their Guardian's shoulder, "I have Ace with me."

Glancing back and forth between the Ghost and Guardian, Nix turned off his scans and bumped the head of the Exo Hunter, "They'll be fine. I sense no ill will from the Queen and the Prince." He then paused, "Well, at least towards him."

Letting out an amused smirk, Pluto nodded although reluctantly before focusing his attention onto Ace, "If anything happens, contact us immediately, alright?"

Giving the Exo Hunter a quick nod, Ianos waited until the others left the room, the familiar sound of the sliding doors skidding close ringing through the air as the Warlock took a seat, "Alright, you going to tell me why you want this 'private' meeting?"

Almost immediately, the amused smile flashed back onto Mara's pale gray features, the Queen lifting up a hand and motioning for the Warlock closer. Almost immediately, Ianos sensed mischievous emitting from the Queen followed by doubt from her brother, causing suspicion to form in the back of the Awoken Guardian's mind. Nonetheless, Ianos pushed himself up from his seat and slowly approached the throne, pausing just a couple of feet away from Mara.

"Remove your helmet, if you will."

Almost immediately, Ianos seized up, his shoulders going rigid at the Awoken Queen's words. This was not missed by Mara, "Is something the matter?"

Before Ianos could respond, Ace was the one who answered, the Ghost popping up in front of their Guardian, "Well, you see, Ianos went on a mission that went… awry and his armor now acts as his life support, if you can understand." The back of the black and orange Ghost's fins spun once, "So we apologize for the inconvenience."

The smile on the Queen's face faded, "Not even momentarily?"

This earned Mara a bewildered look from the Awoken Guardian, "Is there a reason why you want me to remove my helmet?"

Immediately, the hint of mischievous tugged harder at the back of his mind, the smile returning once more onto the Awoken Queen's features, "Nothing important." That's when Ianos' mind went foggy, causing the Warlock to stumble back shaking his head.

"Will you please remove your helmet for me, Guardian?"

At first confused at her request, Ianos' breath hitched when he found his arms moving on his own, reaching up to his helmet and pressing the sealant under his jaw, the familiar hissing sound reaching his ears.

"Ianos!?" The Warlock could hear his Ghost calling him, but he was too focused on regaining movement of his arms, however, when he felt the tubes fall out of place and his hands lifting up his helmet, Ianos instead took in a deep breath, taking in as much of the precious drugs into his system as the familiar sight of his visor vanished.

"Ianos!" Ace entered his vision and Ianos could feel his mind clearing, giving him just enough time to take several steps back, expanding the distance between himself and the Queen as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Now no need to be so harsh with me," Ianos could hear the teasing tone in Mara's voice, "Just wanted to see if you truly were 'Reefborn'." Giving her another glare, the Warlock raised his helmet to put it back on, feeling the darkness crawling its way through his light, hearing its whispers in the back of his mind.

"Oh, not quite yet, Ianos."

This caused the Warlock to pause, his orange hues glancing back at the Queen. Seeing Mara motion for him to come closer, Ianos, at first, stared but heaved out a sigh before complying. The sooner he can get this over with, the sooner he can put on his gear. When he closed in the small amount of distance between the two of them, Ianos once again saw Mara motion for him to come closer, much to his chagrin. As such, without thinking, he leaned in, placing a hand onto the arm of one of her throne to support himself. Sensing the mischievous grow in the back of his mind and seeing the smile broaden on the Awoken Queen's features, Ianos could only stare in bewilderment before he felt a hand clasp down onto the front of his armor and pulled him close. Almost immediately, he felt lips lock onto his and before Ianos could recoil, images flashed through his mind followed by echoes of words swirling around his ears.

" _You are obsessed with the throne! It's not worth splitting up your House for!" She screamed, her violet eyes flaring up in a rage, "You claim that it is for the better for House Raas but I all I see is your selfish desire for the crown!"_

" _It is the only way to save 'my' House!" The man snarled, his orange hues narrowing at the female Awoken, his gray strands sticking out against his azure skin, "I am 'not' going to let my House die after so many years of helping build the Reef! Our 'home'! 'My' home!"_

" _Everything disappears eventually!" The woman screamed, "You should just accept the inevitable!"_

" _That is easy for you to say!" The man snarled, "After all, there is no more House 'Vael', am I correct!?"_

" _Don't you dare bring my House into this!"_

" _Then let me have this chance to save my House! For us! For our son!"_

" _Daddy? Mommy?"_

 _Their eyes turned towards a child, terrified orange eyes peeking behind a doorframe. Almost immediately, the female Awoken's eyes soften, "Oh, my precious child." She walked over and scooped the young one into her arms, before she turned and glare at the male Awoken, "This conversation is not over."_

Feeling his mind clear up, Ianos once again struggled to push himself away from the Queen, only for her to hold fast and once again, his mind filled up with fog.

" _Dad?" The boy held a tablet in his hands, his orange hues staring curiously at the back of his father, the latter of which muttered to himself incoherently at his desk, "You promised to help me with my studies today, remember?"_

" _Not now." Hearing his father's words, the child's eyes dropped but then determination built up within the child's gaze before he marched right up to his father's desk and plopped the tablet in front of him, "You promised."_

 _Almost instantly, the world spun in the child's eyes followed by a stinging pain on his cheek, "Didn't I tell you that I was busy!?" Almost immediately, a strained silence followed the father's words as the boy blinked several times, finding himself on the floor and staring up at the ceiling._

" _S-Son, I-"_

 _Propping himself up into a sitting position, the child said nothing but instead glanced up at his father, the edges of his eyes brimming with tears. The sound of his name then rang in his ears and the child snapped his head towards the doorway, only for the tears to fall freely when the familiar sight of his mother came into his view. Saying nothing, the boy instead held up his arms, a sign for the female Awoken to walk over and scoop him up into her arms._

" _Ferra, I can-"_

" _Genis enough!" The fury in the child's mother's eyes were clear as she clutched her son in her arms, "I do 'not' want to hear it. From now on, leave us out of this so called 'crusade' of yours." Then without another word, mother and son left the room._

Snapping out of reverie, Ianos managed to pull himself away, just barely, "Get. Off of me."

Hearing Ace calling out to him several times, Ianos attempted to focus his attention on expanding the distance between himself and the Queen but to his surprise, the Awoken female held tight, pulling him back into the dreamlike kiss.

" _Mother, where are we going?" The child was older, more mature, than the last memory, however, young enough to not understand the pack he had over his shoulders while holding onto his mother's hand._

 _Instead of an immediate response, the female Awoken glanced down and gave her child a sad smile, "We're going on a little… trip, little one. It won't be a long one, I promise."_

" _What about Father?" The child asked, tilting his head curiously, "Is he not coming with us?"_

 _That's when he could see the hesitation in her eyes, the way her grip tighten around his fingers as she let the silence fill the air before she responded, "He's…too busy to come with us but don't worry, we'll see him again when he's done with… 'work'."_

 _Doubt lingered in the back of the child's mind but for him, it was enough to convince him to easily follow his mother to the docks, the familiar form of the standard Awoken ships meeting his gaze; lean and small enough to fly past the debris around the Reef but big enough to fit the two of them. Approaching one of the ships, the child could feel his mother's hand leave his before she felt her grip slide under his arms and lift him up in time for the top of the ship to open up, letting her place him inside the cockpit. However, as she climbed in, a roar of rage echoed through the docks and the child's eyes snapped up in time to see the familiar form of his father sprinting down the walkway. Sensing the panic from his mother, the child heard his mother frantically press buttons, the top of the ship barely closing in time to stop his father short, his hands slamming against the glass of the ship._

" _You dare try to leave me!?" His father snarled, "With 'our' child!?"_

 _The child could easily sense the hate emanate from his father, to the point where he couldn't help but recoil deeper into his seat, sensing his mother's hate and pity before she pulled on the controls, causing the ship to pull back away from the bay, just enough so that his father would nearly lost his footing, but regain just enough to curse and scream. The last thing the child saw were Awoken guards rushing down the bay as the place he had called home slowly disappeared from his sight._

Feeling his fingers finally finding their target, Ianos instinctively let light flow from his fingers and almost immediately, a gasp of shock and pain emitting from Mara, just enough for Ianos to push himself away. Falling back onto the table behind him, Ianos took in deep breaths, gasps of air leaving his lungs and pain burning throughout his body as he breathed in. The edges of his vision blurry, Ianos glanced around before his eyes spotted the familiar shape of his helmet lying just next to his feet before reaching down, scooping the precious armor piece into his arms and pulling it over his head. Almost immediately, the familiar scans of his Ghost connecting the tubes to his helmet rang in his ears followed by the flushing of the drugs into his system, a sign for Ianos to take in several deep breaths. Immediately, waves of relief rushed through his limbs and the Warlock collapsed to the floor in relief, coughing and gasping as Ace hovered over his shoulder, concern obvious in their optic.

Before the pair could react however, a knife found its way below Ianos' jaw, just enough to cause the Warlock to lift his gaze and to lock onto the furious yellow eyes of Uldren.

"Give me one reason why I should 'not' end you right now for harming the Queen?" The Prince hissed out, his words causing Ianos to glance over at the throne only to see Mara's pale features contorted in pain, clutching her hands close to her chest as the familiar wisps of void light died from her fingers.

"I was 'defending' myself," Ianos rasped out, his orange hues glaring back behind his visor, "What the fuck kind of kiss is that anyway? A kiss to kill?"

"A kiss to help remember," Mara managed to hiss out, her azure eyes glancing up at the Warlock, "It is an ability only reminiscent to the Sov House. Rare but members of the house do acquire it." She then nodded her head once towards her brother, the latter of which scowled but nonetheless sheathed his knife, leaned down, and hefted the Warlock back onto his feet, "Each house has a unique…gift. Rare amongst its members but only special to that one House. For that dead House mentioned in your memories, House Vael, they were known to have members of their House foresee visions of the future, and as such, were normally used as advisors for then young royal bloodline before their fall."

"And House Raas?" Ianos asked curiously.

"No one knows," Uldren responded, earning a look of surprise from the Veteran Guardian, "All records of them were erased after an attempted coup against the throne. The leader, who was part of House Raas, was promptly banished and his followers were either asked to realign themselves or were executed."

"Simply Banished? To where?"

"One does not simply execute a 'noble'," Mara explained as she shook out her hands, letting out a small hiss as she held out her palms to reveal the burns, "there are a lot of politics involved when executing one and most nobles are against the practice of executing 'higher' blood." She then lifted her gaze up at the Awoken Warlock, "And to answer the second part of your question, the only record we do have of the Raas family stated that he was banished to Earth."

"Earth?" Ianos gave the Royal family a blank look, however, something tugged at the back of his mind, a memory that seemed barely out of reach but just out of his grasp.

"Yes Earth, only suitable enough as our people there aren't exactly held in high standards," Uldren scoffed as he resumed his position next to his sister's throne, "now if you excuse us, my sister and I must speak. In private."

Glaring at the Prince, Ianos let out a single nod before turning towards Mara and bowed deeply before turning around and heading towards the exit.

"You alright?" Ace hovered next to Ianos' shoulders as the Warlock rubbed the area of his helmet where his temples would be, "Yeah, just a mild headache." Glancing up as he exited, Ianos' gaze met the sight of his Fireteam, all of which pushed themselves up from the floor as the doors slid shut behind him, "But we'll take care of that later."

Xxxxx

"To think, that there is still a Raas still alive after all these years," Uldren muttered as he turned his focus away from the exit and towards Mara, the latter of which continued to flex her injured hands, "Healer?"

Shaking her head, the Queen curled her hands shut and almost immediately a blue glow engulfed them. Her eyes seemingly glowing more vibrant, the glow stayed there momentarily until she snapped her hands open, the glow scattering into particles into the air before they faded, revealing her now unmarked hands. Examining them, Mara nodded her head once in satisfaction before folding them neatly in her lap, "Do not forget that he is not only a Raas, brother, but he is also a Vael."

"A child of a Seer and a Traitor then?" Uldren scoffed, "Wonder what made the Vael think it was a good idea to marry a Raas?"

"Survival perhaps?" Mara mused, letting her fingers tap idly on the top of her hand, "Records did say that the House was wiped out when one member of the House gave a false reading, resulting in the death of the previous Queen of the Reef. Perhaps they married into the Raas family to escape persecution from the populace?"

"Perhaps," Uldren couldn't help but let out a small nod of agreement, "Although I still doubt your decision of helping him regain his memories, what will happen once he figures out the correlation between House Vael and House Sov?"

Her vibrant hues seemingly gleaming with amusement, Mara fixated her gaze onto her brother and smiled, "Then he'll also be privy that he has a right to the throne if anything were to happen to us, Uldren."

* * *

 _I swear the last part sounded better in my head -w-;;;_


	27. More Than That

**_Tormented_**

 ** _More Than that  
_**

 _Hey Guys! Once again I apologize for the late update! Work really has been getting to me. Anyway, this arc is coming to a close as you can tell lol. Once again, I never intended for this story to be this long. In honesty, I was expecting to finish it in 20 chapters. Writing out these chapters, I'm expecting it might be double that number!  
_

 _Also an announcement, I'm not sure if it's just me, but apparently I am not receiving any private messages on my account (a person I am roleplaying with claim to have send their reply but I have never received it) so if you have sent me a message, keeping sending it to me until I respond or at least until I found a better alternative to messages lol. So, just in case, if you have a character you want to submit and somehow I didn't respond, just post it in the reviews until I can find a solution to this._

 _Thanks Mantic64 and_ _Fin the Demi God_ _for your reviews!_

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, she 'kissed' you?"

Ianos gave the human Titan a blank stare, "Do I have to say it again, yes, she did."

Audible snickers could be heard coming from the older Guardians, causing Carina and Angel to turn and blink, "What's so funny?"

"Never thought the day would come that Ianos would kiss a 'woman'," Akiva reached over and playfully punched the Warlock on the shoulder, "Especially the 'Queen' of all people."

"Why? Is it because of his personality?" Carina asked, in which she earned a glare from the Warlock as he rubbed his shoulder, "No, of course not."

"Then what was so funny?" Angel kept giving the Veteran Guardians a puzzled look, "I don't understand."

"Well," Pluto started, "Let's put it this way, the Queen maybe beautiful but the Prince is more of his 'type', if you can understand."

"What?" It was Carina this time, the Silver Exo giving the Exo Hunter a bewildered look, "He likes the broody – Oh." Her optics widen in realization, "You only like men?"

"Makes things simpler that way," Ianos grumbled as he crossed his arms, "and I just connect with them better."

"Yeah, left a lot of broken hearts back then too that way," Akiva grinned, "Geez, the look on the women's faces when you had to tell them that you're not interested, kind of felt bad for them."

"That was in the past, they're not interested in me now," Ianos rolled his eyes, "Thank the Traveler for that."

"That's because you always wear your helmet now," Akiva teased as he poked the Warlock's head, gaining another glare in response, "Back then you always walked around without it and let's just say, who could have resisted that beautiful face?"

"Can we move onto a different subject than this?" Ianos frowned as he smacked the Titan's hand away from his face, gaining a laugh in response to the action, "Like how to finish up this treaty?"

"But you didn't tell us what happened after the kiss," Angel piped out, earning him a groan from the Awoken Warlock, "Look, I will tell you guys 'after' this mission is over, I am not quite in the mood to talk about it 'now'. Can we just move onto a different topic?" When Ianos saw the pleading looks on the faces of his Fireteam, the Awoken Guardian heaved out a sigh and added, "Please?"

This caused his team to pause, their eyes going wide at the Warlock.

"Did you just say 'please'?" Carina gawked, "Or are my audio receptors fooling with me?"

"Oh he said please." Pluto couldn't help but let a smile flash onto his dark features, "how long has it been since I last heard you say that? Years? Decades?"

"Is it enough to make you guys change the subject?" Ianos deadpanned, causing Pluto to let out a chuckle, "Which I will immediately say, what else do you think we should add to the treaty?"

Aleeza shrugged although a smile is visible on her pale features, "What else can we add? I mean, we did brought the House of Spirits into it this and we already pretty much went over the basics of the Treaty with the Queen."

"Maybe we should rest up today and perhaps we'll think of something tomorrow," Akiva suggested, "We did have a rough day today."

"Well you guys can do that," Carina raised her arms above her head, stretching before she let her arms collapse back to her side and added, "I sort of want to walk around a bit and sight see. Who knows? When we leave, this might be the only time I will be able to see the Reef."

"Oh, in that case, let me come too," Angel stated quickly before he paused, then motioned for Hope to glide closer and held out his hand, the familiar circular object falling into his grasp seconds later, "Just let me contact Vellak and the others real quick."

This earned the human Hunter a puzzled look from the others, Pluto soon asking, "Now why would you need to contact them?"

Lifting his gaze away from the communicator, Angel responded with a grin, "Well, I need to tell them that their 'family' is growing bigger, don't you think?"

Xxxxx

Olkar couldn't help but keep a firm grip on the arm of his female littermate, the latter of which was still snarling at Inkolas, the Vandal having crossed his arms and responded with a slight grunt of amusement.

After having a nice chat with Variks, the older Vandal then received a message from the Queen and he excused himself, much to the disappointment of the three siblings. After Variks left, the three took it upon themselves to escort themselves out, only to bump into Inkolas respectively, the four Vandals staring awkwardly at they stood out in the hall.

" _Well, this is pleasant,"_ It was Trikxas who broke the silence, the Ghost hovering cautiously near Olkar's shoulder, nearly pressing her shell against the side of his neck, " _Is there something we can help you with, Inkolas?"_

Hearing his name being called, the Vandal snapped his attention towards the white Ghost, causing the latter to press herself against Olkar even further. Seeing this, the Vandal let out a snort before focusing his attention onto Vellak, " _Anikis managed to make the others…apologetic for their actions earlier. He would appreciate it if you return to the rest area to join us for a meal."_

Almost immediately, Olkar reached up and clasped a protective hand around Trikxas' form, " _Do you think I would say yes after what the others had done to Trikxas?"_ The Vandal then let out a snarl, " _No, I do not trust that they will 'behave' themselves long enough for a meal."_

" _And I have still not forgiven you for the insults towards our House,"_ Axtris growled out, tugging against the iron grip of her littermate, " _we will not say yes to a meal, even if it is coming from Variks himself."_

His four eyes narrowing, Inkolas then turned his four eyes towards Vellak, the eldest littermate tilted his head and stared back, " _Well, what about you? Oh 'scribe' of House Spirits."_

Vellak paused and straightened his gaze out however, instead of a glare like Inkolas had expected, the other Vandal was taken by surprise that he instead received an amused look, almost if the words tickled him instead of the negative effect that Inkolas had expected.

" _I think a meal would suffice,"_ Vellak finally said, immediately causing his two siblings to snap their attention towards him, their jaws agape behind their Ether masks, " _If of course you and the others apologize to us during the course of our meal."_

This caused Inkolas to pause, " _Are you serious?"_

" _How does the human saying go? Loud and clear."_ Vellak nodded, " _While we're dining, we would like an apology; one from those who had tried to take Trikxas from us and, one from you, Inkolas of House Wolves."_

Almost immediately, a low rumble emitted from the other Vandal, " _Now why would I-"_

" _Then we're not joining you for this meal,"_ Vellak's words caused Inkolas to pause, " _an apology or my littermates and I will simply return to our quarters."_

A low growl could then be heard emitting from the other Vandal but to the surprise of the younger Eliksni, Inkolas let out a stiff nod before turning around and started walking away. It was only when he motioned for the others to follow did the three littermates complied.

" _I don't understand why you still said yes to the meal,"_ Trikxas muttered under her breathe, feeling Olkar gentle grasp her shell as he held her close to his chest, " _I mean, the apologies I understand, but 'during' our meal. You could have waited until 'after' they apologized to say yes to the meal."_

" _Normally, yes,"_ Vellak then shrugged, " _but what better way for the apology to be more 'sincere' when it is in the presence of others?"_

Trikxas blinked, " _Oh…"_

Making their way into the rest area, Olkar let out a snarl to any Eliksni he caught staring at the Ghost he held in his hands, immediately causing them to look away, complains audibly under their breaths. Passing the others, the group soon made it to Anikis, seated in the same spot that they had earlier occupied with Variks; hands on his knees and his four eyes seemingly brighten at the presence of the three littermates, " _You have decided to join us, good."_

" _Only if we receive an apology,"_ Vellak stated immediately before waving one of his upper arms towards Inkolas, let out a low growl before he let out a huff and let out a stiff bow. This earned several murmurs and whispers from those present as Inkolas added, " _I, Inkolas of House Wolves, soldier of the Kell and Queen of the Reef, deeply…apologize for my behavior earlier."_ Lifting himself up, Vellak could hear Inkolas' jaws grinding together in annoyance before adding, " _I hope that it will not strain our… fellowship."_

Letting out a low rumble of approval, Vellak let out a single nod, " _No, it will not, since you… regret your previous actions."_ The eldest littermate then focused his gaze onto the room around him, " _Of course, we forgive only 'you' since 'you' alone have apologized for your…mistakes."_

Sensing the narrowed glance of the older Vandal, majority of the Eliksni lowered themselves to the floor, rumbles and murmurs echoing through the room as Anikis glared at his fellow Eliksni, " _Do you not hear him? He has forgiven Inkolas for he renounced his actions. Are you not going to do the same to our guests?"_

More murmurs and growls echoed through the room; several Eliksni glancing at each other as if expecting to perform the apology first. After a moment of silence, an Eliksni finally stood – a Dreg- and he bowed deeply, forcing out an apology in the tongue of their people. No sooner had the Dreg finished their apology when another stood up and did the same and soon after, a ripple of apologies echoed through the room as individual Eliksni stated their apology, something which Vellak couldn't help but let an amused smirk form onto his features. As soon as the last apology was out, the eldest littermate nodded his head once in approval, " _You are forgiven."_ His words spoken, Vellak walked over and took a seat next to Anikis, Axtris and Olkar soon following after. As soon as the three took their seats, three Dregs walked over with plates of meat, placing down their meal near their feet before wandering off. Watching his two littermates pick up the slice of meat in their hands before removing their Ether masks and enjoying their meal, Vellak turned his gaze towards Inkolas, the Vandal still standing nearby, his four eyes narrowed at the group.

" _Care to join us, Inkolas?"_ Vellak asked as he motioned the seat opposite to Anikis' side, smirking as the low rumble emitted from the Vandal. Nonetheless, Inkolas complied, walking over and taking a seat next to his comrade, the latter of which blinked but nonetheless continued to enjoy his own meal.

Letting out a rumble of amusement, Vellak leaned down to pick up his plate before using his upper arms to reach up to the sides of his mask, his fingers delicately locating the clasps locked around his jaws. Snapping them open, the familiar hissing sound echoed in his ears before Vellak reached up and removed the mask, the absence of weight around his jaw immediately apparent as he placed his mask next to him. Using his lower arms to lift his plate, Vellak then picked up the meat with his upper arms and immediately, took a large bite out of his meal. Although capable of living without Ether for a short while, Vellak still has to devour his meal quickly otherwise his body will slowly shut down without the life sustaining liquid. As such, he already had half the slice of his meat finished by the time a familiar ring echoed through the air. Glancing over to Axtris, Vellak watched the female Eliksni place her slice of meat back onto her plate, the latter of which was steadied with her lower arms as she reached into her pack with one of her upper arms and removed the familiar cylindrical object. Swiftly, Axtris pressed the sequence of buttons on the cylindrical object before it hovered out of her hand and expanded, revealing the screen before her. Almost immediately, Axtris let out a shout, " _It's Pure One!"_

This caused Vellak to choke on the bite of meat in his mouth, repeatedly hitting his chest with one of his upper arms as he attempted to force it down. As his airway cleared, Vellak watched Axtris immediately replaced her Ether mask around her jaw, the familiar clasps snapping back into place followed by Olkar doing the same; Trikxas hovering over his shoulders as her back fins spun repeatedly, apparently excited that the Guardian finally made contact.

" _Hey, woah, you guys alright?"_ Replacing his Ether mask over his jaws, Vellak took in a deep breath as the clasped clamped into place, taking in the precious sustenance before he stated, " _Yes, you just caught us during a meal is all."_

" _Oh, my apologies,"_ The green hues of the Hunter turned apologetic, " _Want me to call back later then? When you are finished?_

" _We will always have time for you, Pure One,"_ Axtris chirped, her four luminescent eyes beaming as she added, " _What news do you have for us?"_

A soft smile flashed onto the human's features, " _Well, you know as well as I do that the Reef has the House of Wolves under their control, right?"_

Olkar let out a snort, _"Kind of obvious when they're surrounding us."_ He then nodded his head towards the room of Eliksni around them, " _What about it?"_

" _Well, during the treaty, the Queen and Prince wanted House of Spirits into the alliance as well,"_ The Guardian paused at the low growls emitting from the younger Eliksni, " _Now, now, I know how you feel about the Awoken, especially since well…"_ The Hunter rubbed the back of his neck nervously, " _Anyway, Ixrsis agreed to the alliance."_

" _What!?"_ Axtris roared, her outburst causing her two littermates to jump, " _Now why would she-"_

" _On one condition,"_ Angel interrupted, causing Axtris to pause, " _That all Eliksni, even those imprisoned at the Prison of Elders, would be released under their control and transferred to the House of Spirits."_

Almost immediately, silence permeated through the room; even the other Eliksni have paused on their own meal and looked up at the screen that hovered between the three littermates.

" _Are you being serious with us, Pure One?"_ Vellak asked, picking up his staff from the floor and using it as support as he leaned forward, " _Tell me that this is not what a human calls a joke."_

" _I am not joking,"_ The three could see the small pout form on the Guardian's lips, " _As soon as the treaty is finalized, the Queen promises that ships will be loaded up and set on course for earth, where Eliksni will be brought to the location of House Spirits, where they are free to join."_

" _And if they refuse?"_ Vellak asked.

Angel shrugged, " _Not sure about that, but knowing Ixrsis, she won't force them to join if they don't want to."_ A smile then formed back onto the Hunter's tan features, " _Just wanted to let you guys know. And those in the room with you."_ Almost immediately, a fist came out of nowhere and smacked the Hunter on the shoulder, causing the Guardian to emit a small 'ow' and rub the area of impact, " _Well,_ Carina _is getting impatient. I'll let you three handle the rest when it comes to handling the mass around you."_ The screen then shifted, as if Angel had moved to the side, " _Anyway, have to go before_ Carina _decides to throw another punch at me, I'll message you three later."_

The screen then turned to static before it shut down and the sphere closed around itself, falling back into the upper arms of the female Eliksni. Watching his sister quickly tuck the communicator back into her pack, Vellak finally turned his attention towards the Eliksni around them and almost immediately, noticed the murmurs emitting throughout the room. He could see looks of hope in several of Eliksni's eyes, hearing some of them mutter about 'freedom' under their breaths and finally leaving the Reef. However, Vellak also noticed the looks of doubt in majority of those present, some of them growling under their breaths of a 'trap' or a 'death sentence'. Vellak couldn't help but let out a low rumble of annoyance.

" _Is this true?"_ Vellak snapped his attention towards Anikis, the latter of which stared at the three littermates with wide eyes, " _Is the words of your Guardian true? That we will be released from the Queen's control?"_

" _Only if you are willing, yes,"_ The eldest littermate nodded his head in confirmation, " _I believe Kell Ixrsis won't force you to leave the Reef if you're unwilling."_

" _And those trapped in the Prison?"_ Anikis rumbled, his words hardly a whisper, " _is that true as well?"_

" _If the Queen keeps her word, then yes, that is true as well."_ No sooner had the words left Vellak's lips when he noticed Anikis' eyes beamed and he swore he heard the words, 'mother' breathe out from the Vandal. Before he could process it even further however, a low snarl caused Vellak to snap his attention towards Inkolas, the latter of which had pushed himself up onto his feet, " _Are you really falling for this 'façade', Anikis? Do you truly believe that the Queen will release us from her control so easily?"_

This earned the Vandal a puzzled look from Anikis, " _You do not believe their words?'_

Almost immediately, Inkolas scoffed, " _You do?_ " When he noticed Anikis narrow his four eyes and let out a low snarl, the Vandal threw his arms into the air out of exasperation, " _Are you serious, Anikis? You believe their words? The words of traitors? The words of a Guardian?"_

" _Did you not see how he spoke to them, Inkolas?"_ Anikis snarled, the Vandal pushing himself onto his feet as well, " _Did you not notice the respect and equality in his words? Not once did he show any sign of disrespect or scorn towards the three of them."_ The Vandal then let out a low rumble, " _What if Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris are right? What if not all Guardians are as 'cold' as we thought?"_

" _Are you insane, Anikis!?"_ Inkolas screeched, " _What if this is a trap set up by the Guardians? What then, Anikis?! What happens if all this is a death trap set up by the Guardians and we are literately leading our people to their deaths!?"_

" _I believe they are telling the truth!"_ Anikis' voice escalated, the Vandal snarling as he pressed his face against the other Vandals, " _And what better option do we have than rotting here on this shattered piece of metal and rock!?"_

No sooner had the Vandal finished speaking when hands grabbed the front of his armor, slightly lifting Anikis up, barely letting his feet touch the ground. This action caused the three littermates to automatically jump to their feet; if this was noticed by Inkolas, they were simply ignored as he snarled, " _Unlike the rest of our kind here, Anikis. 'I' survived the Prison of Elders. 'I' was the only one amongst my group, my 'pack', to successfully kill a Guardian and earn my freedom. 'I' am the only one here who saw firsthand what Guardians are capable of."_ His eyes seem to glow menacingly as he added, " _And here's what I have to say: 'Never' trust a Guardian."_

Snarling, Anikis shoved themselves away from Inkolas, his stance threatening as he added, " _Better to trust a Guardian and be treated as an equal and being stabbed in the back than staying here and being treated like animals."_

Anikis' words caused Inkolas to flinch but nonetheless, the other Vandal let out a low growl before he stalked out of the room, leaving the room in strained silence. Sensing the uneasiness from the rest of his kind, Anikis also took it as a sign to leave as well, brushing past the three littermates as he exited.

" _Well,"_ Olkar started, turning his four luminescent eyes towards his siblings, " _This is turning interesting."_

Xxxxx

"Do you have to be so impatient?" Although he tried his best to sound annoyed, Angel couldn't help but let a soft smile fade onto his features, "It would have just taken another second."

"Pfft, another second for you is like another ten minutes," Carina smiled back, "and there's no way I'm wasting an opportunity to explore a place like this, especially since who knows when we'll come back here."

"Well after the treaty is finalized, anytime you want," Angel pointed as the pair made their way down a walkway, the familiar housing appearing in their sights, "Since the Reef won't be isolated anymore and we're their allies, they can't say no to us on docking."

"Good point," Carina hummed before she added, "Do you think they have a marketplace here? Like the one we have back on Earth?"

The Hunter shrugged, "Well don't ask me, I've never been here before."

"Well, then the fun begins!" Carina exclaimed as her violet optics brighten, "Objective! Do not return to our rooms until we find the marketplace!"

"Oh come on!"

"Hey! It's not like we need sleep, right?"

"Doesn't mean we don't get tired!"

The pair laughed, Carina reaching over and playfully punching the Hunter on the shoulder, causing the latter to rub it.

"Geez, you Titans always so physical?" Angel teased, laughing as he dodged another swing from the female Exo, "Hey, careful, I'm a 'fragile' Hunter, remember?"

"Pfft, those stereotypes," Carina chuckled as she placed her hands behind her head as she walked, signaling to the Human Guardian to close the distance between the pair, "Although, they're not completely wrong. Titans do like to show their affection through physical contact." She then grinned as she turned her head towards Angel, "What do they say about you Hunters?"

"Well, from what 'I' heard personally, that we show affection through two ways: by pulling pranks or bringing said person to the Wilds."

"You Hunters and the Wilds," Carian teased as she lowered her arms back onto her side, "I swear, if you like the Wilds so much, why not live there?"

Angel laughed, "We pretty much do. Remember that three day patrol mission we went on with Pluto? Three days is actually a short amount of time for Hunters. Majority of the time we stay in the Wilds for 'months', and even then we're reluctant to return to the Tower."

"Then why not stay outside?" The Exo Titan asked, "Wouldn't it be easier than returning to the Tower every few months then returning to the Wilds in just a few days?"

The human Hunter hummed thoughtfully at this, "Normally yes, but unless you frequently keep sending frequencies to the Tower, if you're gone longer than a year, more often than naught the Vanguard will jump to two conclusions: That you're either MIA or you went rogue."

"Ouch," Carina tutted, "What about Pluto though? He was gone for like what? A decade?"

"He was in 'mourning'." The Hunter reminded, "Also, Cayde was informed of his location and the two have each other's frequencies. Pluto told me that once a year he would send Cayde white noise to show that he was still alive and kicking and that he hasn't went rogue. Just needed some time alone is all."

"Damn, Hunters have it tough," the female snorted before she let out another hum, "And Akiva?"

Angel shrugged, "Not sure. I guess the Vanguard thought he went MIA before he came back to the Tower. Guess it's better than the alternative though."

Nodding her head in agreement, Carina then add, "Speaking of, what do you think about Warlocks? How do you think they show affection towards others?"

"You mean besides lectures and debates?" Angel deadpanned, causing Carina to chuckle, "Well from what I heard, Warlocks like to go on excavations, go into areas where no one has even gone to before or research any unknown items."

The Exo made a face at the Hunter's words, "That sounds 'boring', no wonder most Warlocks tend to stay in a group."

Angel shrugged at his comrade's words, a smile on his face as he added, "Hey, don't trust me on it one hundred percent, it's just what 'I' heard, nothing substantial."

"Sounds accurate enough to me," The Exo's words once again caused Angel to let out a gentle laugh before he leaned in and tapped the side of her shoulder armor causing Carina to let out a broad grin, "Come on, let's go ahead and find the marketplace. I bet we can buy some great souvenirs, don't you agree-"

A loud 'clang' interrupted the female Exo, startling the Hunter as he watched his friend reel back and placing a hand onto her head, cursing silently under her breath.

"Carina?" Angel started and immediately his senses kicked in and instinct caused the Hunter to step to the side, the edges of his vision barely catching the edges of a piece of metal flying past him.

"Get out of here zombies! You don't belong here!"

Snapping his attention towards the side of the platform they were taking, Angel's stance slumped, his green hues spotting two small forms of Awoken children, both of which were picking up small pieces of metal off of the side of the walkway, readying themselves to aim their makeshift ammo at the Guardians.

"Kids?" Angel sputtered out, turning his gaze towards Carina, the latter of which narrowed her violet optics at the children as she reached out and easily snatched the flying projectile out of the air. Not long after, her fist tighten, enclosing around the piece of metal before she opened up her palm, revealed crushed up particles falling to the ground. This was enough to cause the two children to scramble, running back into their home behind them as Carina smacked her hands together before placing her fists on her waist.

"Are children always like that?" She managed to mutter out as she reached up and rubbed the area where she had been hit, only to receive a shrug as an answer from the Hunter, "Don't look at me, the best thing I could remember is that I was born on Venus."

"Is that all you remember?" Carina asked as the two Guardians made their way down the walkway again, however, this time they kept their gaze outward, eyeing any Awoken who gave them dirty looks, "Or is there more that you aren't telling us?"

Once again, Angel shrugged, "Nothing much really. Only on how I died." This earned the Hunter a gawking look from his comrade, "Was trying to get my mother out of our home when the Darkness came. These…creatures with glowing eyes clawed their way in before we could get out." His gaze distant, Angel seem to stare off into space as his mind wandered back, "They slaughtered my mother first before they tore me to pieces."

Shifting nervously on the edges of her feet, Carina waited momentarily before tapping the Hunter on the shoulder, onto to jump back as the Guardian jumped, his eyes snapping back into reality, "Traveler, you alright?"

"Uh, yeah," Angel rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, yeah I think so."

Sensing the look of doubt from his friend, the Hunter stated, "I'm serious, I'll be fine, just…need something to distract myself."

Giving the Hunter a look of concern, Carina turned her violet optics over her shoulder, her gaze locking onto her Ghost. Sensing the eyes of his Guardian now on him, Spears twirled his back fins, his violet optic staring back, { _"If you think I can offer you advice on what to do, I have none."}_

"Well you're no help," Carina muttered out, causing Spears to shift his parts up and down in the form of a shrug before the Exo Titan turned her attention back to attention, only to see Hope hovering next to her Guardian's face, her core blinking as she whispered. Although unable to hear the words forming from the Ghost, Carina could easily see the anxiety in Angel's eyes fade, the rigidness of his shoulders relaxing, and his posture shifting out of defense.

"Thanks, Hope."

Hearing the words leave the mouth of her Guardian, Hope leaned back as her green optic beamed before she twirled around Angel several times, earning a gentle laugh from the human before she came to a pause above his shoulder.

"I keep hearing rumors, words spoken by those of the consensus, by those who are 'not' Guardians," Angel stated as he reached over and tentatively brushed his fingers against Hope's shell, earning a shift of parts upwards, a Ghost equivalent of a smile, "they believe that Ghosts are nothing more than 'tools', used for navigation and transfer of gear for the Guardians. But they don't know the truth." His green hues shifted towards Carina, "You know as well as I do that they're more than that." Sliding his hand underneath Hope, Angel brought his hand close to his chest, his Ghost following suit, "They're our pillars, our support. Without them, we-"

"Could have ended our lives long ago," Carina smiled bitterly at the shocked expression on the Hunter's face, "What? You think that just because I'm a few months older than you that I wouldn't have the same thoughts?" The Exo Titan focused her attention onto Spears, the latter of which tilted himself slightly, as if to refocus his gaze onto his Guardian, "It's not easy, remembering your past, remembering how things were and how little things have changed despite it being 'years' after your death." She chuckled, "If Spears hadn't been there, I might have thought about lying down and never getting back up."

Soaking in the words of his friend, Angel focused his attention onto Hope, holding out his Ghost to let him gain a better perspective of the AI. He remembers the first time the thoughts came to him, moments after his rebirth. Who could blame the young Hunter though, after spending weeks in the Wilds with no back up and battling alone against Vex and Fallen. If it hadn't been for Hope giving him words of encouragement, egging him on in finding a way off the planet, Angel could have easily lied down and let the Vex or Fallen finish him off. This lead to the young Hunter's mind wandering back to the older members of their group. Did they experience the same emotions as what he and Carina have? Calculating their age and remembering their scars, the Hunter couldn't help but let a small voice of pity echo in the back of his mind. It was most likely but considering their age, they have fought off the emotions more often than the younger Guardians and Angel wanders how they were able to fight it off for so long. Before he could process it even further, Angel felt a slight tap against his shoulder once more, startling the Hunter as he snapped his gaze back towards Carina, the Exo once more giving him a look of concern.

"You alright?" The Titan asked, causing Angel to blink once, "I called your name several times but you didn't respond."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, was just deep in thought" Angel smiled sheepishly at the look of doubt he received from his friend, "How about we change the subject? What about that Marketplace we were trying to find?"

"Now we're talking!" Carina's eyes beamed, "I bet if we just walk down this pathway we should make it outside of his little 'settlement' and maybe, perhaps! To the marketplace!"

Laughing at the sudden enthusiasm from his comrade, Angel opted to listen to the chatter emitting from the female Exo as they made their way down the walkway.

* * *

 _A bit more serious ending but yeah. Anyways, I always thought of Ghosts has a pillar for Guardians cause who can go through all that fighting without trauma really? I know that Guardians have each other for support but considering that more often than naught Guardians are often killed out in the battlefield, Ghosts are always technically there for their Guardians, so like, in my head, they're their life lines. Anyway, enough of my gibberish lol_


	28. I Don't Remember

_**Tormented**_

 _ **I Don't Remember**_

 _I deeply apologize for the late update. A lot happened over the weekend and I hardly was able to find the time to write. Hence, the late update ;u;. I will make it up to you somehow, just need to figure out what lol  
_

* * *

"You alright?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ianos turned his head before his orange hues locked onto the single optic of his Ghost, the latter of which blinked once as they hovered above his shoulder as he laid in his bed. When Ace gained no answer, the Ghost instead asked, "Is this about the memories that you regained?"

"I don't know whether to call it 'memories' yet," Ianos muttered as he turned his focus back onto this ceiling, his words earning him a bewildered look from his Ghost, "the Queen claims that her kiss 'helps' regain memories but who knows, what if it's just another one of her tricks? I heard that she can be pretty crafty to make things go her way."

"Yes but what does she gain from this?" Ace asked, "what does she gain from giving you false memories? What if those memories are actually real?"

"What does she gain from helping me 'regain' my memories?" Ianos retorted, causing his Ghost to pause at his words, "even if these memories are real, how does Mara benefit from this?" A frustrated sigh then escaped the Warlock as he pushed himself into a sitting position, "Even from our little 'link', she's hard to read. The best I could do is sense what emotions she's emitting but that's all I could read from her."

"What about Uldren? The Prince?" Ace asked and almost immediately, they received a snort as an answer, "What do you think? Both he and his sister collaborate together. If I can read him easily like the other Awoken around here, then I would have figured out their plans already."

"H'm, so at a loss then?" The Ghost received a nod as a response, "What about just asking them?"

This caused Ianos to sputter, "What makes you think that asking them will answer my questions?"

Ace shrugged, "Won't hurt to ask. We didn't exactly ask then anything now that I think about it." The Ghost spun the back part of their fins, "Who knows? Maybe they'll answer our questions if we ask."

Giving his Ghost a blank stare, Ianos stayed momentarily silent before he let out a sigh, "Fine, we'll try it your way." Lying back down, the Warlock then added, "As soon as the forging of the Treaty is done, I'll ask."

Nodding their core once, Ace circled above their Guardian several times before gliding down into the crook of Ianos' neck, "Sleep well."

This earned the Ghost another snort but nonetheless, Ianos closed his eyes, followed by Ace as the AI powered down, letting the small blink of their light to lull the two to sleep.

Xxxxx

"Now who would have thought that Awoken would sell some 'normal' souvenirs?"

Angel turned his head and raised a brow at his Ghost, "What do you mean?"

Blinking once, Hope twirled her back fins several times before she stated, "Well, if you want an honest answer, I was expectin' them to sell more…'exotic' items, if you get the gist of my meanin'."

"Like what?"

"Well, like since they don't treat Eliskni very well, like…ornaments? Made from-"

"Okay stop there," Angel raised a hand to empathize his words, "I know where you're going but I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, don't tell me that you didn't just go with Carina just to see for yourself," Hope protested, "We have heard terrible rumors about the Awoken and how they treated the Eliksni here and you wanted to confirm if they were true or not from the vendors, correct?"

Giving his Ghost a blank stare, the Hunter let his mind wonder back when both he and Carina found the marketplace. Angel recalls glancing around at the ornaments and items stacked in the stalls, his trained eyes glancing around in hopes of finding evidence of Eliksni made products. He had found none and his strange behavior was continuously pointed out by the female Exo, the Titan occasionally poking him on the cheeks in concern when he does not respond to her words. After a while, after sensing the uneasiness from his comrade, Angel gave up on the search and instead opted to enjoy the time the two have together in which the Hunter had to add, he did not regret. The pair had split just moments ago, Carina giving Angel a bone crushing hug despite his protest that they were going to meet again in a few hours before the Exo waved goodbye with Spears whistling the same before the Ghost and Guardian went off to their own rooms, leaving the human Guardian to his own thoughts. Puffing out his cheeks, Angel stayed momentarily silent before he heaved out a breath and nodded, "Yeah and I didn't see anything but I still can't help but wonder what happens behind the scenes."

Nodding her core in agreement, Hope glided around her Guardian several times before coming back to a pause above his shoulder, "How about we think about that later and get a good night's rest, h'm? Especially since we have to meet back up with Queen Creepy and Prince Arrogant in a few hours."

Giving his a Ghost a gentle smile, Angel nodded once before continuing down the hall and making his way to his room.

Xxxxx

When Angel entered his temporary quarters, he was surprised to find Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris in his room, all three of which were seated on the floor; the younger littermates glancing over the shoulders of the oldest as he tapped away on the tablet in his hands while Trikxas was on Angel's bed, her core blinking steadily as she rested.

" _You know, although I wasn't surprised that you three left my room to venture around, I am surprised that you are back."_ Angel's words caught the attention of the three Eliksni, " _I had thought you would spend more time with House Wolves, especially with the news of their merging with House Spirits."_

This earned the Hunter a huff from Axtris, the female Eliksni crossing her arms as she stated, " _Well we could have if it wasn't for Inkolas."_

Angel gave the three littermates a bewildered look, " _Inkolas?"_

" _A Vandal of House of Wolves,"_ Olkar responded as he took his eyes away from the screen of his brother's tablet, the latter of which was still focused on tapping away, " _apparently he is not too happy at the arrangement."_

" _Oh?"_ Angel walked over and took a seat just in front of the three, Hope gliding over to where the Vandals were seated and taking a look at the screen of the tablet herself, " _and why is that?"_

" _He was once a prisoner of the Prison of Elders,"_ It was Vellak who responded, the eldest littermate not once tearing his eyes away from the screen of his tablet, " _he was able to free himself but not before forming a strong hate towards the Soldiers of Light."_

" _Wait-wait-wait, back up."_ Hope tore her gaze away from the tablet screen and fixated her eyes onto the eldest littermate, " _He made it out of the Prison of Elders? How?"_

" _He claimed to have killed a Guardian in the Prison,"_ Vellak continued but this time, he lifted his gaze away from the screen and onto the female Ghost, " _and that action was enough to grant him freedom."_

The Vandal's words caused Angel to blink, " _He killed a Guardian? Alone?"_

Instead of an answer from Vellak, it was Olkar who responded, " _He didn't say anymore. He and another Vandal, Anikis, got in a fierce fight over whether or not to trust you and your comrades on the promise of freedom, and if the Queen really is going to let them go so easily._ " He then shrugged, " _That is all he said before he angrily walked away."_

Olkar's words caused Hope to twirl her back parts several times in agitation, " _Do you think it's a good idea to let a Vandal like that in House Spirits? Especially since, you know, House Spirits are allied with Guardians."_

" _Absolutely not!"_ All eyes turned towards Axtris as the female Eliksni abruptly stood up, " _who knows what he's capable of? What if he infiltrates the House? What if he breaks it down from the inside?"_

" _You know as well as I do that each fellow Eliksni is looked over carefully before they join our House, Axtris,"_ Olkar stood up as well, " _Kell Ixrsis only lets a select few join House Spirits and you know this."_

This only earned the male Vandal a snarl from his littermate, " _What if he 'passes' the screening? What if he somehow gets past our defenses? You know as well as I do that such a thing is possible."_

Olkar narrowed his eyes at the female Eliksni, " _Axtris-"_

" _The final say goes to Kell Ixrsis,"_ All eyes turned towards Vellak as the eldest littermate shoved his tablet into his pack, " _Whatever judgement she places upon Inkolas 'and' the rest of House Wolves, I will abide to it, no matter who she chooses to let in."_

This caused Axtris' shoulders to slump, " _But-"_

" _I believe it is time to retire for the day,"_ Vellak let out a grunt as he picked up his staff and clumsily pushed himself onto his feet. He then turned his attention towards Angel, the Hunter having followed the male Vandal's action, " _Pure One, if you do not mind-"_

" _Already on it."_ Angel gave the Vandal a small smile as he walked over to a corner of the room, a pile of sheets and pillows folded and ready for use. As the Hunter leaned over to pick up the linens, Hope glided over to her Guardian, agitation clear in her voice as she stated, "You sure that it's a good idea to let Inkolas into House Spirits like that? I mean-"

"Like what Vellak just said, Ixrsis has the final say," Angel interrupted as he turned his gaze towards his Ghost, stopping the latter short, "If Ixrsis says he's allowed to join House Spirits, he's allowed to join House Spirits." He then walked towards the middle of the room before placing the sheets onto the floor and then picking one up to spread out onto the floor, "And who knows, Ixrsis may have said she wanted House Wolves to join her house but, knowing her, she might let them leave and form their own House if they want."

"She always was about freedom of choice," Hope admitted before she shifted her parts up and down, "But what if Inkolas really does join House Spirits? What if he causes trouble for us?"

"Then we will fix it," Angel responded as he grabbed one of the pillows and fluffed it down onto one of the sheets, "You have to remember, Hope, although Inkolas does have a strong hate towards Guardian, he has survived the Prison of Elders and you know as well as I do what Guardians do there." Pausing just long enough to spread out another sheet onto the makeshift sleep space, Angel continued, "And if it isn't about the Prison, we also do not know the reason behind his hate. We have no right to judge, at least, not until we know the 'exact' reason."

"…Alright," Hope stated, her green optic watching her Guardian spread out another sheet for a makeshift bed, "I'll take your word for it."

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

"So you want help on clearing out the rest of House Wolves on Mars?" Pluto stated, his red optics glancing up from the tablet he held in his hands. He had requested Nix to repair his eyes once more to get a better look at the Royal Awoken's features; he wants to remember their faces.

"If of course you are capable," Uldren stated, earning a glower from the Exo Hunter, "It is true that you Guardians killed Skolas in the Prison but that doesn't mean that a new Kell won't arise from the survivors, which is why we are adding kills of Fallen on Mars on the list of bounties."

"Is it because you Awoken are incapable of handling it?" Pluto couldn't help but smirk at the glare he received from the Awoken Prince, "Or do you have 'other' matters to attend to?"

"The reason of this bounty is that many of our people are…'inexperienced' of life outside of the Reef," It was Mara who spoke, all eyes turning towards the Queen as she added, "and we do not have many of those who have experience outside of our home."

"Which is why we are requesting 'you' to add this 'bounty' to the list," Uldren finished, keeping his yellow hues onto the Exo Guardian, "So if you do not mind, just add it in."

Giving the Awoken Prince a glare of his own, Pluto glanced down into his tablet and typed in the needed keys, the highlighted bounty soon popping in the list soon after. This caused the Exo Hunter to glance up from the screen, "Anything else you would like to add, 'your Grace'."

That's when Pluto noticed the Prince's gaze scan the Guardians seated at the table, the scowl on his face still visible on his pale features as Uldren scanned each individual's features, all of which were content on sitting back and letting Pluto do all the talking. Waiting until the Prince's gaze was finally upon him, the Exo Hunter spoke up, "If you do not mind, 'Prince' Uldren, this is the last step to this treaty and my team and I want more than anything to return to the Tower. So if you do have anything so say, please speak up."

Snickering at the narrowed glance he received from the Prince, Pluto watched Uldren turn his gaze to Mara, the latter of which only let out an amused smile before she waved her hand once, a sign for the Prince to turn his attention back onto the Guardians, "That is all we have for now. If we have any other bounties, we will notify you."

"Good," Pluto stood up, a signal to the others to do the same, "I have already sent the information of the Treaty to the Vanguard and they will keep their copy in the database to make it official." The Exo Hunter then fixated his red optics onto the royal siblings, "I am hoping you will do the same."

"Do you think of us as incompetent?" Uldren growled, "Of course we will keep our copy of the Treaty safe, I can only trust you will do the same, 'Guardians'."

"And your end of the treaty with the House of Spirits?" It was Angel's voice who rang out, all eyes turning towards the young Hunter as he added, "Kell Ixrsis have stated several times before and she will say it again: if you do not send the remaining House of Wolves liberated under you she will consider the Awoken as her enemies."

Turning his red optics back towards Prince Uldren, Pluto couldn't help but let out another smirk at the look of rage flashing in the Awoken man's eyes, "We have already started transferring those on the Reef onto ships coordinated for earth. Those who are housed at the Prison of Elders are still being screened."

"How about those who wants to stay?" Pluto heard Angel ask and to Exo Hunter saw the Prince's features shift, the hardness of his eyes fading and his gaze going wide, as if surprised by the Hunter's question. However, the sharpness of his gaze returned and the Prince responded, "Like you and the 'Kell' of House Spirits have asked several meetings earlier, 'Guardian', we have interviewed each Eliksni on whether they want to stay or not and, well…" He then turned his gaze towards Mara, the latter of which nodded her head once, a sign for Uldren to finish, "Only one is going to stay here on the Reef."

"Wait, one?" Pluto asked, his optics scrunching together in bewilderment, "Why do they want to stay?"

"You heard of Variks the Loyal, correct?" Uldren scoffed at the puzzled looks on the Guardians faces, "He is one of the reasons why the Awoken won the Reef Wars. If he hadn't come to us and informed us about Skolas' plans, then we may have well as lost. Thanks to his actions, he was made Warden of the Prison of Elders and is one amongst many of the Queen's advisors."

"And, he wants to stay?" Pluto turned his head towards Angel, his red optics not missing the slump in his shoulders, the disappointment in his eyes. This was somehow missed by Uldren, "We did as the two of your requested; we were not going to force any Eliksni onto the ships that were not willing to leave the Reef."

A sigh could be heard from the human Hunter, but nonetheless he let out a nod, a sign that he wasn't going to press the situation. Pluto took the opportunity to focus his attention back onto the Prince, "If that is all, my team and I would like to head to our quarters. We do not mean disrespect but we are eager to return to the Tower."

Watching the Awoken man turn his attention once more to Mara, Pluto waited until Uldren focused his attention back onto the Guardians, "Very well, this meetings is adjourned."

Nodding his head in slight thanks, Pluto picked up the tablet in his hands before raising it up towards Nix, the Ghost more than gladly taking the piece of tech into his Vault. Watching the others push their seats back and head towards the door, Pluto only came to a pause when he watched Ianos stay where he was, his hidden gaze fixated onto the two Awoken present in the room, "Ianos?" This caught the Warlock's attention, "Is something the matter?"

Pluto watched the Awoken Warlock pause, turning his gaze over his shoulder towards Ace, the Ghost turning their parts one as a sign of attention before Ianos returned his focus back towards the Exo Hunter, "I have a few… questions to ask the Queen and the Prince, if you do not mind."

This caused the Pluto to give Ianos a puzzled stare, "Questions? Now why would-" He paused as Ianos' body went rigid, his fingers flexing next to his side as if preparing for a fight. Narrowing his eyes at this action, the Exo Hunter stayed momentarily silent before he heaved out a sigh and reached over and patted the Warlock on the shoulder several times, "Alright, we'll meet you at the Hangar when everyone's ready to leave."

Earning a nod as an answer, Pluto removed his grasp from Ianos' shoulder and headed towards the exit, leaving the Awoken Warlock with the Prince and the Queen.

Xxxxx

Watching Pluto leave the room, Ianos then focused his attention on Mara and Uldren, the latter of which let out a scoff, "We overheard your conversation with your 'machine', Guardian. So you have questions for us?"

"First of all, Pluto isn't a 'machine'," Ianos scowled behind his visor at the Prince, "and second, yes, I do have questions for you."

"And what makes you think we will answer them?" Uldren asked.

"You didn't even hear of what I have to say."

"Then spill it."

"You claim that your 'kiss' earlier was to help regain my memories. What do you benefit from that?"

Before Ianos could prepare himself, surge of emotions ran through the back of his mind, from both the Queen and the Prince, causing the Warlock to stumble back. Forcing himself to concentrate, Ianos barely pinpointed the emotions of uncertainty and suspicion before it halted, sliding away from the back his mind and letting it clear, just enough for Ianos to regain his footing and shake his head.

"Is that your question?" Ianos lifted his gaze and fixated it onto Uldren, the latter of which kept his eyes narrowed at the Guardian, "is that all?"

"Is it really that insignificant?" The Warlock noticed the slight flinch from the Prince, "Then answer it and I will be on my way."

Ianos notice the scowl deepen on Uldren's features, "How dare you use that tone of voice in the presence of-"

"Uldren." The velvet voice of Mara echoed through the room; her tone soft but stern, just enough for the Prince to pause and turn his gaze towards his sister, "Despite his lack of knowledge, his status is of high nobility; and with his bloodlines, his status maybe equivalent to ours."

This caught Ianos' attention, "Excuse me?"

Mara focused her attention onto the Awoken Warlock, "Despite the fact that House Raas lost their status of nobility, your bloodlines still reaches back to House Vael, a House – despite its status- is still held in high regard and still holds their title of Nobility and part of the Royal House."

"I beg your pardon?"

Shooting a glare at Ianos' Ghost, Uldren turned his attention towards Mara, "I think he has learned enough, your Grace, tell him anymore and-"

"We are in a Treaty with the Tower now, if you have forgotten, brother," Mara interrupted, reigning Uldren into silence, "In order to keep this alliance stable, I believe one of the Guardians who helped brought it into fruition has the right to know of his bloodlines." The Queen then fixated her gaze back onto the Awoken Warlock, "And he did want to know our reason of helping him regain his memories."

"Oh, please, do tell," Ianos muttered as he crossed his arms, "Although I highly doubt this information will be relevant for me."

"That is where you are wrong, Ianos," Mara mused at the sudden shift of the Warlock's gaze onto her, "You have heard that House Vael was part of the Royal House, correct? It is more than that. According to the records, they were once part of House Sov until a potential heir decided their next sibling was more applicable for the title of leader of the Reef. As such, they married into a house of Nobility to keep their high status while as giving up their title as heir."

"And that House is House Vael?" Ianos scoffed at the single nod he received from Mara, "And that applies to me how?"

"If anything happens to the heirs of the Sov House, then the next in line for the throne goes to the descendants of House Vael." Uldren explained, "Since you are the last of the Vael bloodline, which in turn, makes you a descendant of House Sov, if anything were to happen to my sister and I, 'you' are the next in line for the throne."

Almost immediately, silence permeated throughout the room, leaving the three Awoken staring at each other, reading each other for any sign of a reaction.

"No."

This earned Ianos a startled look from not only Uldren but Mara as well, "And the reason for your answer?"

"I am a 'Guardian' now, Mara, if you had not already forgotten," Ianos then heaved out a sigh, "And not to mention I had no knowledge of my bloodlines until 'now' and if you want an honest answer, I have little to no interest in the throne." Rolling his shoulders, Ianos then added, "Not to mention my duties as a Guardian comes first and duties of being a 'Royal' will not doubt get in the way of it. So it's easy for me to say that, no, I am not going to be next in line for the throne 'if' anything happens to you and your brother."

"Disappointing but understandable," Mara mused, "although I do have to say this; My brother and I have informed Petra and Variks of your bloodline and they have been notified to inform you if anything happens to Uldren and I."

Ianos frowned, "Didn't I just say-"

"It is in case that you change your mind, Ianos," This caused the Warlock to pause, "I truly do respect your decision however, the Reef still needs a leader and with no heir from my brother or I as of yet, 'you' are next in line." She then smiled, "At least lead long enough for the Reef to find another heir from one of the other noble houses if you are still not interested."

Giving her a blank stare behind his helmet, Ianos kept his gaze straight until he heaved out a sigh of defeat, "Fine then, for the sake of this Treaty 'and' the Reef, I will accept 'however', I'll only 'temporarily' lead like you have stated, up until another heir could be found."

Mara nodded, "Acceptable terms." She then turned her attention towards Uldren, "Do you agree as well, brother?"

Seeing the Prince scowl at him, Ianos returned the glare until the Awoken man responded, "For the sake of the Reef, I will accept these terms, just as long as you're competent on leading an entire race, 'Guardian'."

"Oh, so I take it you can do better then, 'Prince' Uldren?" Ianos ignored the glare he received from the Awoken man before he fixated his attention back onto Mara and let out a deep bow, "If that is all, I will take my leave. Thank you for answering my question."

With his words spoken, Ianos turned around and headed towards the exit, Ace following not too far behind him.

Xxxxx

" _Is it true then?"_ Axtris chirped, her four eyes beaming at Angel as he turned around and paused on the walkway up to his ship, " _That the Queen kept her end of the bargain?"_

" _Yes,"_ Angel couldn't help but chuckle at the high pitched squeal of delight from the Vandal as he continued inside, a sign for the others to follow, " _they already have those who were on the Reef on their way to earth; those who were unjustly placed in the Prison will be sent out later on today."_

" _That is of good news then,"_ Olkar rumbled out, " _and even better news, I heard that most if not all of House Wolves wanted to leave."_

" _Only exception is Variks,"_ All eyes turned towards Vellak, the eldest Vandal seemingly sulking as he leaned against his staff. This caused Axtris to lean in towards her oldest littermate and tease, " _What? Disappointed that he wasn't going to replace you as Scribe?"_

" _No."_ Vellak snapped, narrowing his gaze at his chuckling sister, " _I am disappointed because of the potential of what I could have learned under him. But since he's staying here on the Reef and I do not like it here…"_

" _It's alright Vellak,"_ The Vandal glanced up at the human Hunter who gave him a comforting smile in response, " _I'm going to make repeated visits to the Reef to check up on Variks when I get the chance. If you want, you can come with me. I wouldn't be surprised if he appreciates the visits. After all, being the only Eliksni here would be lonesome, don't you think?"_ Angel's smile broaden at how quickly Vellak's eyes brighten, " _Come on, let's drop our items inside and see if the others are here."_

Nodding their heads in agreement, Angel watched the three littermates drop their packs before the Hunter took it as a cue to exit his ship once more, hearing the three footfalls of the Eliksni follow behind him. No sooner had he reached the bottom of the walkway, the familiar form of Aleeza and Carina stepped out into the open, the latter ecstatically waving in greeting as the couple approached, their hands intertwined with each other's.

"Ready to go?" Angel asked in which he received a nod from both female Guardians.

"Finally, I was getting tired of this place," Carina stated, "being called a 'machine' and 'zombie' just drains you."

"And it feels strange here, being an 'Earthborn' Awoken who do not have the empathetic link compared to the Reefborn," Aleeza smiled sheepishly, "I keep getting looks wherever I go and honestly, it's unnerving."

Angel nodded his head in agreement, "Especially if our helmets are off, we stick out like sore thumbs amongst the Awoken. And since their opinions on Guardians aren't very high well…" He shrugged as he smiled nervously, "I'm just glad that we're leaving."

"Same here."

All eyes turned towards the entrance of the hangar only for everyone to nod their head in greeting as Akiva came into view, the tall Guardian towering over everyone as he yawned and stretched, "Can't wait to return to the Tower and get some sun finally."

"And spend some 'quality' time with Neve?" Aleeza teased, earning a sheepish chuckle from her twin, "which reminds me, when is that baby due?"

This immediately caught the Hunter and Exo Titan's attention, "Wait what? A baby?"

"Well, from what Neve researched, five to six more months," Akiva eyes beamed at the thought, either ignoring or unable to see the shocked expressions of the younger Guardians, "to be honest though, I'm nervous. Although I raised Maylea, she was a child then, not a newborn."

"Oh, you'll do fine," Aleeza reached over and patted her twin on the shoulder as she grinned, "Thought of any names yet?"

Akiva hummed thoughtfully, "Well, we're still debating on a girl's name but we have a name down if it's a boy."

"And?"

"Oraxsis Ricard Wahl."

This caught the attention of everyone present in the Hangar; even the three Vandals, all of which lifted their heads towards the Guardian at the mention of their deceased sire's name.

"Wh-what?" Vellak stuttered out, "Why would-"

"Your father was a brave warrior and I want to honor him by naming my son after him," Akiva gave the oldest littermate a gentle smile, "and even though I knew him only for a short moment, he is also a friend and I want 'everyone' to know his name and what better way to name my son after him?"

Locking his gaze onto the human Titan, Vellak then bowed his head in gratitude, a gesture that his younger siblings stared bewildered before the Vandal turned and explained the situation and soon after, Akiva found the other two siblings bowing to him as well.

"H-Hey now, no need to be so formal," Akiva chuckled sheepishly, "just doing what a friend would do, right?"

"Let me guess, if it's a boy, you are going to name him after their father, right?"

Turning around, Akiva raised his hands up in greeting, "Pluto! Ianos! You guys ready to go?"

"What do you think?" Ianos rolled his shoulders, "after staying here for two weeks, I'm ready to be back in my own room at the Tower."

"Oh just wait, the Vanguard most likely will want us to write out a report about this," Pluto turned his optics towards Carina, the latter of which had let out a groan, "and 'do not' leave a single detail out."

"I do not want to write about me being beaten up by three Awoken," Carina grumbled, earning a giggle from Aleeza in response, "How embarrassing."

"Three Awoken 'without' your light and armor," Akiva reached over and patted Carina on the shoulder, "I say that is an accomplishment."

"Pfft, yeah, if I was a normal Exo," Carina retorted as she brushed the human Titan's off of her shoulder; nonetheless a smile formed on her metallic features, "Can we go home already?"

"Hold on," Angel glanced over to the three Eliksni, the latter of which were now absent of their spots next to the human Hunter, "Where did Vellak, Olkar, and Axtris go?"

This caused the group of Guardians to pause, their relax atmosphere quickly turning to one of concern as they glanced around only to spot the three Vandals crowding around a corner of the Hangar.

" _Axtris, Vellak, Olkar,"_ Angel walked over to the huddled Eliksni, followed by the rest of his Fireteam, " _What are you-"_

The Hunter was suddenly stopped as Vellak turned and pressed a finger to his Ether Mask; a gesture Angel recognized as one he had learned from Ianos during their studies together in the archives whenever the eldest littermate asked constant questions. As such, this gesture puzzled the human Hunter greatly until Vellak nodded his head towards the corner and no sooner had Angel shifted his gaze when his green hues widen. In the corner was Trikxas, the white Ghost's parts spread out and circulating around the bright glowing aura of her light, revealing her inner core as her light slowly spread.

Angel heard Akiva breathe out, "Is she-"

"Move back," The Hunter felt hands pull his shoulders back, expanding the distance between him and the Eliksni before Angel watched Pluto gesture for the three littermates to do the same, all three reluctantly complied.

Now with more room, Trikxas further expanded her parts, her light expanding even further until Angel spotted the source she was after; a piece of plating on the wall, obviously worn and salvaged from another source, possibly dated years back. The group of Guardians watched as Trikxas easily removed the piece of metal from the wall and immediately set to work. From the perspective of the Fireteam and the Eliksni, a white outline was created, the plating revealed to have been a chest area of its deceased before the familiar wiring and skeletal frame popped into place, the metal flesh crawling along the metal frame as they linked together as a whole. As the metal mesh came close to completion, that's when the plate on the chest straightened out, the dents and rust on the surface disappearing as if time reversed itself and revealing the proper cyan color. After that was finished, the plate them seem to spread, each plate interlocking into each other as they fitted into place, enabling the body easy movement once active. Once the plates were in place, that's when Trikxas started materializing the armor, the rounded and thick pieces immediately recognizable as a Titan's once it came into view, the red and white armor forming over the Exo's body as she worked. Finally, the lights blazed to life from the Exo's optics and mouth piece, the pink lights glowing vibrantly before the familiar swept back helmet formed over their head, the yellow visor completely hiding their features before they fell to the floor on their knees. Silence then permeated through the hangar as the newborn was still, their form unmoving as those present stared in anticipation, only for everyone to jump as the newborn took in a sudden breath, their head leaning back as if to help the air move downwards towards their makeshift lungs.

"H-Hey now," It was Pluto who spoke, the Exo Hunter taking tentative steps towards the newly resurrected Guardian as the latter leaned forward, pressing their hands against the floor as they took in shuddering breaths, "Take it easy, come on, take a deep breath." Pluto waited until the newborn complied, "Then breathe out." The newborn release their breath, their breathing shuddering slightly but more steady than before. As the Exo Hunter tended to the newborn, it was Angel who turned towards the other Veteran Guardians, "Can Ghosts really form Guardians from nothing like that?" He then paused, "Were 'we' like that? Just a piece of bone or flesh on the ground or wall before our Ghosts found us?"

"In a way, yes," Akiva rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he saw the wide eyed look the human Hunter gave him, "It is very rare for a Ghost to find a Guardian intact and you have to remember, some of us were born 'during' the Golden Age; there's no way a body could be completely intact after being dead for so long. Like for instance," He nodded his head towards his Ghost, the latter of which blinked at the action, "Lex here claimed to have resurrected me from just my blood on the car just short from where I died."

"Or for me, my broken bones from the crash," Aleeza added in, smiling at the gawking expressions on the younger Guardian's faces, "Like Akiva had stated before, Ghosts can practically form us from nothing."

"Just as long as they have the materials for our armor at ready," Aleeza chuckled at the words of her twin, "Good point."

Listening to the twin's friendly banter, Angel turned his eyes towards the three Eliksni, only to pause at what he saw before him. A gleam of joy could be seen in Olkar's four eyes but also one of grief, a sense of loss emitting from the Vandal as Axtris reached over and held one of her brother's hand comfortingly, letting out low rumbles of comfort as Vellak placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. Letting the cogs of his mind turn momentarily, it was until Angel glanced back at Trikxas and the newborn Guardian that the Hunter realize what is wrong. Once they return to the Tower, both the newborn and Trikxas will be bonded and most likely brought over to the barracks where they will be trained with other newborns separately from the older Guardians. This will mean that Olkar may never see Trikxas again or at least, the Vandal won't be able to see her for a while. A loss of a friend and companion for the Eliksni.

"What was that?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Angel turned his attention towards the kneeling form of the Newborn, the latter of which hesitated at Pluto's question.

"I…" The Exo started, the low tone of their voice making it clear that they were male, "I don't remember…" He paused, as if he would be in trouble on stating the next part of his answer, "I… I don't remember my name."

* * *

 _So, who would like to guess what's going to happen next? :D_

 _Anyway, this is the end of the Reef Arc and the next arc will begin in the next chapter ^_^_


	29. We Need Your Help

**_Tormented_**

 ** _We Need Your Help_**

 _I really need to update earlier than this, it's getting ridiculous lol. Another, heads up, another year has passed in the story, so the team now officially has been together for three to four years. Also, this part of the story will mainly focus on Akiva, Aleeza, Carina and Angel. You'll see why Pluto and Ianos aren't as active on this part.  
_

 _Thanks to Zantilis, Fin the Demigod, and AAA for the reviews!_

 _ Fin the Demigod \- I do have plans to incorporate the Taken and SIVA into my story (Mainly the Taken in this book). SIVA however may have to wait and be introduced in the sequel (yes I am planning a sequel) as I had planned out this story 'before' the announcement of Rise of Iron. Also, the characters in this story won't be actively participating in the main storyline - there are too many of those kind of stories already. However, they will kind of be on the 'sidelines' such as interacting with the enemies however not actively partaking in the actual quest on taking down Oryx and all that.  
_

* * *

Ducking behind the wall, Sun quickly reloaded their hand cannon, hands shaking as they shoved the bullets into their weapon before snapping it to the side. Seeing enemy fire from the edges of their vision, Sun took in a shuddering breath before the fire ceased, a sign for the ex-Guardian to quickly flip into view and fire, thirteen shots ringing through the air before they impacted into their targets and an explosion soon after, the incendiary rounds doing their work as the enemy let out wails of agony before disappearing into a swirl of white and black.

"Sun! More incoming!"

Cursing under their breath, Sun scrambled onto their feet as a black sphere popped into view, expanding until more enemies materialized underneath it, their twitching form immediately focusing onto the Exo. Counting too many for them to handle, Sun turned and booked it down the hall, hearing the enemy behind them let out a battle cry before the pattering of feet against metal rang into their audio receptors. Taking in deep breaths, Sun waited until the footsteps behind them were close before they leaped into and activated their lift, levitating the Ex-Guardian in the air long enough for them to twirl around and face their foes. It was then Sun snapped their right hand back, the familiar solar light blazing around their body before a loud 'clang' echoed through the air, the form of a hammer immediately taking place in Sun's grasp. Then before the enemies could react, Sun tossed the hammer into the fray, snapping their hand back to summon another hammer once they have landed. The Titan then wasted no time in tossing the newly formed hammer into the survivors, slowly making their way back down the hall and pressing the dark energies back, right before they made it to the end of the hall and press their hand against a panel, sealing the entrance shut.

"There is going to be more where that is coming from," Gaia glided out of the floor, shifting their parts carefully against the panels as they glided over to their Guardian, "They won't give up so easily after making it this far."

Saying nothing, Sun instead took several steps back, their yellow optics flickering with exhaustion as the solar light died; the hammer wavering out of their grasp, "Rasputin?"

The familiar song rang through the hall however, unlike the ones Sun had heard previously which had held higher pitched notes, the one that they heard was more slow and droned on, causing the Exo to let out a silent curse; it means that things were not boding well for their defenses.

"Gaia. Fabian Strategy."

Bobbing their core once, Gaia glided over to Sun's raised hand and let out their scanner, the familiar shape of the auto rifle materializing into their grasp before taking the hand cannon from their Guardian's other hand, "Are you going to be alright?"

Sun turned their yellow optics towards their Ghost and blinked once before returning their focus onto the auto rifle, reloading it as they added, "I will be fine."

The Ex-Guardian's answer caused the gold Ghost to scrunch their parts together, "You have been fighting these… things for days now, Sun. And your light…"

"I'll last long enough to ensure Rasputin's safety," Sun muttered out as they turned their attention away from the auto rifle and onto Gaia, "If Rasputin falls, then so does Earth and it will bring the Last City with it."

"…You know as well as I do that you don't have to defend Rasputin alone." Gaia paused as they watched Sun stiffen, right before their yellow optics turned and narrowed at the gold and crimson Ghost, "It maybe have been a couple of years Sun, but the fact is you can still call Pluto and his team to come and help you." The Ghost paused, their gaze drifting down to the floor, "Rasputin maybe everything but every time a danger comes to him, you always speak like as though it's your last day. With back up, maybe…"

Listening to their Ghost's voice fade, Sun's stern gaze soften before they heaved out a sigh, shaking their head side to side before they added, "Alright, call Pluto and his team for me." That's when a soft melodic tone echoed through the hall, "Not you, Rasputin. Your last signal for help may have worked but who knows who will come if you send out another." Sun then fixated their gaze back onto Gaia, "I think Gaia can handle this." This caused the Ghost to blink, "You sure? If we tap frequencies no doubt the Vanguard will notice. After all, our frequency 'died' years ago."

"Just do anything to get Pluto here," Sun stated, "Darkness, if you're that uncomfortable contacting him through Nix, you can just fly to the Tower to meet him personally if you want." The Exo couldn't help but let out a smirk at the shocked expression coming from their Ghost's optic, "You can figure this out."

The familiar 'screaming' caused Sun to snap their head towards the door, only to let out a curse as it expanded and bulged, a sign that the orb of darkness had been summoned in the middle of it.

"Go! Gaia Go!" Sun shouted as they aimed their auto rifle at the expanding door, "Raspuin and I will last as long as we can until you can get help!"

Giving their Guardian once last worried look, Gaia bobbed their core up and down before gliding upwards, one of the vents automatically sliding open to let the Ghost through. Weaving back and forth inside the shaft, Gaia heard the familiar sound of an auto rifle being let loose ring through the vent, causing the Ghost to shift their parts closer to their core as they made it outside, and the familiar graveyard of ships coming into their view. They hope they can make it in time.

Xxxxx

"Oh fuck off!"

Jumping at the sudden raise in volume within his helmet, Akiva immediately ducked as a sniper shot whizzed past his head, letting out a breath of relief as he ducked behind cover, "Carina? Is something the matter?"

"Yes!" The female Exo snarled before the sound of her auto rifle rang through the air followed by a single loud shot and then silence of the coms. At first puzzled, the human Titan only understood what occurs once the text 'Zantilis killed Carina—23' flash onto his visor, "You know, that's like the fifth time he killed you in this round."

"You think I don't know that!" The frustration in Carina's voice was apparent through the coms, "I tried again and again to get him back but he always takes out damn shotgun right when I break his shields and rips my face off before I can finish him off!"

Akiva couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's misfortune, "Want me to get him back for you?"

"If you can," Carina grumbled, "But I highly doubt you will be able to surprise attack him, Akiva. He found a pretty nice 'perch' in this area."

"That's because Exodus Blue has some pretty nice look out for snipers and ambushes," Angel's voice echoed through the coms, "It may look crowded, but you can find pretty good spots if you look."

"Says the sniper."

"Hey."

Laughing at the two younger Guardians, Akiva instead rolled out into the open, letting his auto rifle fire at the unsuspecting sniper. That's when he felt something impact into his shields, shattering them completely but Akiva kept his finger on the trigger, gritting his teeth as his bullets finally broke through the shield of his opponent. The Titan then ducked down to dodge a last ditch sniper shot before the Guardian fell, their Ghost materializing above their body soon after. Heaving out a sigh of relief, Akiva ran behind some pipes, feeling his shields regenerate as his points raised up by one hundred. That's when he spotted a lone figure near the water's edge, watching the Titan slowly load bullets into his shotgun as his visor scanned the Guardian, the name 'Zantilis' flashing into his sight, "I think I found him, Carina."

Kneeling down to make himself harder to track, Akiva raised the scope of his auto rifle to his eyes and let out a whistle, catching the attention of the Human Hunter through the coms, "What?"

"If Ianos was here he would be really annoyed with that guy," Akiva chuckled, eyeing the New Monarchy chest piece and Mark flashing obviously under the light alongside the Titan's Iron Banner arms and legs, "This guy is just screaming 'advertisement'."

Carina's voice echoed through the coms, "Pffft, only if Ianos was here on Earth, then I would have totally dragged him over to meet the guy. It's always great whenever someone wearing full faction gear runs by us and the face he makes." A sigh then could be heard, "Only if he wasn't busy being 'King' of the Reef." That's when the three went quiet; Akiva keeping his sights on the Titan who had long ago finish reloading and entering the building nearby.

Just a few weeks prior, news of Oryx, the Father of Crota, spread throughout the Tower – alongside the news of the supposed death of the Queen and the Prince being missing in action. This chain reaction lead to Ianos being notified of their 'passing' and reluctantly, the Warlock had to make good of his promise. The Vanguard didn't take the news very highly, but after much bickering and compromise, they agreed to let Ianos go as long as he keeps his frequency up the entire period he was there so that the three Guardians could always keep a close eye on him. As such, Ianos gathered what gear he could and headed off the Reef where he had stayed since.

"He did say it was only temporary though," Angel broke the silence, the familiar sound of his sniper ringing in the background of the coms before points were added to his tally, "He will be back soon." The Hunter paused, "Hopefully."

This caused Carina to let out a snort, "Yeah, I will believe that when Pluto actually keeps good on his promise to go on a mission with us."

Hearing the bitterness in the female Exo's voice, Akiva couldn't help but let out a sigh, mentally agreeing with the younger Guardian. Back when they had found the Guardian on the Reef, the Newborn immediately stated he cannot recall his name. His words suddenly made Pluto go into overdrive and no sooner had they returned with the new Guardian in tow, Pluto kept a close eye on the Exo and taken him under his wing days later when he still cannot recall his name. Not long after, several more Exo arrived at the Tower nameless and Pluto too took them under his tutelage. This sparked the rebuilding of Clan Galaxy. With the help of Orion - the Exo that they had found on the Reef - Pluto had been busy tending to his duties as 'Clan Leader' and as such, hardly have any spare time to spend with the team. Currently, the Exo Hunter have taken his small Clan to Venus to teach them on how to properly fight against the Vex and to learn about the Fallen House of Winter. Without Pluto around to lead the team, it was eventually voted that Ianos would take on the title of Fireteam Leader, but that soon turned short lived when he was called to the Reef. Now, the team have no leader and Akiva, Angel, and Carina had taken their time to the Crucible to hone their skills while Aleeza stayed in the background researching artifacts from their past patrols as they wait for their two 'leaders' to return.

"Oh he will, someday," Akiva heard Angel grumble out before two sniper shots followed and two more tallies were added to the Hunter's score, "I mean, they won't just abandon after we just picked out a name, right?"

"Yeah, especially after it took us 'days' just to come to an agreement," Akiva can imagine the female Exo roll her eyes before she added two more kills to her list, "Fireteam Redacted. Who would have thought?"

Listening to the female Exo's words, Akiva couldn't help but let out a laugh, "It was the only name we can agree upon, despite its meaning."

"Well it does makes sense, if you think about it," Angel hummed out, "We are pretty much a freelance group and we – " The Hunter was suddenly cut off as a loud 'bang' echoed through the coms followed by static, causing Akiva to jump before he saw the name, 'Zantilis killed Angel' flash over his visor, "He got you too?"

A groan followed by the coms clearing up was the answer the Titan received, "Welp, I'm going to find him and avenge the both of you."

"You say that like it's easy," Carina snorted through the coms, causing the human Titan to let out a smile before he dashed out into the open and sliding into cover, barely hearing the sound of bullets trailing behind him before hitting the pipe beside him, "Well, it can be, if I can find him first."

"Well if you need help on that, I have my sights on him," Angel stated, "He's coming your way. Any ideas on how you're going to take him down?"

Humming to himself quietly, Akiva couldn't help but let out a broad grin spread onto his pale features before he sheathed his auto rifle. This did not go unnoticed by the young Hunter, "Uh, Akiva? What are you doing?"

"You know that I'm also attuned to arc light, correct?" The Titan let small sparks of arc energy ripple through his arms, "Well there is a reason for that."

"Well, just in case, he's exiting the building to your right."

No sooner had the words echoed through the coms that the sight of Zantilis dashed out into the open, a sign for Akiva to get up and charge. Arc energy rippled around the Titan as he gained speed, the grin on his face hidden behind his visor. The charge was quickly spotted by the opposing Titan but instead of aiming his pulse rifle at Akiva, he too ran forward, arc light bursting all around him. As the two closed the distance between each other, Akiva could hear Angel whisper out, "Oh boy."

Akiva took it as a sign to thrust himself forward, his shoulder ramming into what he hopes is Zantilis'. Immediately, Akiva found his vision turn white before his he felt his body go numb, the only sensation a small prickling spreading throughout his limbs before the white in his vision faded. Letting his mind clear, Akiva found himself taking the perspective of his Ghost, Lex's yellow and white form visible in his sight. From there, he could see his body have been tossed high into the air from impact; Akiva couldn't help but let out a small snort of morbid amusement as his body finally landed, sparks of arc energy tracing down his body. However, no sooner had his body landed when another fell beside it, startling Akiva inside his Ghost and from what he saw, if the Titan could laugh he would have. It was Zantilis' body, the two Titan's shoulder charges having killed the other but the aftermath have sent their bodies spiraling into the sky. Spotting the Titan's Ghost not far from him, Akiva took note of Zantilis' frequency before white filled his vision once more. Warmth spread through Akiva first before he felt the familiar appendages, flexing his hands several times as he landed on his feet.

"By the Traveler." Angel's voice heaved through the coms, the Hunter's taking in breaths as if he had just been laughing, "I'm saving that."

"What? What?" Carina's voice rang through the coms, "I just saw the text that Akiva and that Zantilis guy traded kills. What happened?"

"I'll show you later."

It was then Akiva took the opportunity to laugh loudly, uncaring if the opposing team heard or not, "I have to admit, I wasn't seeing that coming. I was hoping to kill him first before we rammed each other." He then shrugged, as if he expected Carina and Angel to see him from being crumbling walls, "But things don't go always as planned."

"And it was worth it."

Laughing once again at Angel's words, Akiva then removed his auto rifle from his back, charging back into the fray.

Xxxxx

"I thank the Traveler for Ianos trusting me enough to let me use these." Aleeza beamed as she flexed her hands, revealing feathers and claws traveling up the side of her arms, the bronze color glistening under the room light as she continued to admire the armor piece, "Now, how to utilize these in battle 'without' ruining them."

 _Look at this life, oh bearer mine._

The female Warlock paused, slowly lowering her arms to her sides as she tilted her head slightly, "Excuse me?"

 _There is so much left to burn…_

Immediately, the Awoken Warlock tore off the gloves, tossing them onto her desk as she recoiled slightly, watching the bronze feathers seemingly bristle against the gloves, "…well, now I know what Ianos meant when he said to be careful." Taking tentative steps towards her desks, Aleeza reached over and poked the gloves carefully, watching her fingers easily press into the feathers and sensing the waves of power emitting from the gloves.

The female Awoken have had heard rumors of Ahamkara armor pieces; hearing that the pieces of bones and feathers tethered into the armor are still seemingly 'alive' and can somehow cause auditory hallucinations to their wearers. Although having not personally witnessed these events, Aleeza have heard stories of Guardians taking heed of the words from the bones of the Ahamkara and it has been said the Guardians themselves had to be put down in order for their rampages to be stopped. Then again, they always had been stories.

Momentarily hesitating, Aleeza once more picked up the gloves, holding one up to slide back into her arm.

"Don't do it!"

An unfamiliar voice ringing through her ears, Aleeza jumped, startled to the point where she lost her grip on the Ahakmara armor piece causing it to fall to the floor, its bronze feathers contrasting against the marbled floor of the female Warlock's quarters. Before she can turn and face the intruder, a gold and crimson form flew across her room from her window, heading directly towards the Claws of Ahamkara lying on the floor. All Aleeza could do was watch the Ahamkara gloves break down in the familiar form of transmat, her crimson eyes going wide at the form of a Ghost finally recognizable in her vision, the latter of which turned to her and froze.

"Uhm," The Ghost started, "The gloves are. Dangerous?"

Instead of responding, Aleeza held up her hand, the familiar ruby and white Ghost materializing in her palm, "Gives those back. They aren't mine."

Xxxxx

"Oh come on!"

Carina's curses echoed through the coms as Akiva held up his auto rifle for Lex to materialize back into his Vault; his golden eyes eyeing the scores blinking on his visor. They had lost by three kills much to the Titan's disappointment but he had to admit, the match had been fun and he felt like he hadn't enjoyed a Crucible match like it in a while. Feeling himself go light, Akiva waited until he found himself in the familiar seat of his ship to reach his hands forward and grasp the controls. Not long after, his coms echoed with Carina's grumbling, making the human Titan smile, "Oh come on Carina, we weren't that far behind."

"Three more kills, Akiva," Akiva heard Carina grumble, "Three more and we could have won that match but…" A groan escaped the female Exo, "If our other two teammates and I hadn't rounded that corner and into that Zantilis guys' Fist of Havoc, we could have had a chance."

"Hey, it happens," Angel's voice rang through the coms as they piloted their ships back to the Tower, "Remember that one time we were one point behind?"

"Don't remind me."

Letting out a chuckle at Carina's grumbling, Akiva glanced up to the front of ship, his golden eyes instantly recognizing the Tower in sight. Feeling their ship come to a pause near the Plaza, Akiva instantly removed his hands from the controls just as he felt himself go light once more, white flashing into his sight before the familiar view of the Plaza reappeared in his vision. Landing on his feet, Akiva rolled his shoulders before he turned around in time to see Angel and Carina follow not too far behind him; the female Exo immediately crossing her arms in a pout.

"Next time, Carina," Akiva chuckled as he headed up the steps, only coming to a pause as a familiar Titan materialized into view. Watching him remove his Murvaux helmet, Akvia waited until Zantilis held up his helmet for his Ghost to take, fully revealing the human's dark skin and buzz cut.

"Hey! Zantilis, correct?" Akiva wasted no time in approaching the puzzled Guardian, holding out a hand as he added, "Name's Akiva. The Titan that you shoulder charged against?"

Blinking once, a grin slowly formed onto Zantilis' dark features before he also reached out and grasped Akiva's hand tightly, shaking it firmly before releasing his hold, "Akiva Wahl if I am to guess?" The Titan waited until Akiva nodded once, "I heard about you. Everyone in the Crucible called you 'The Bull'." Zantilis then let out a laugh, "And after today, I can see why."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Akiva let out a shrug before he took removed his helmet, revealing his pale features to the Guardian before him, "Well, it just always seems like a good idea at the time."

"Pfft, you mean shoulder charging half my team majority of the game?" Zantilis laughed, "That my friend, takes a lot of practice and stamina."

Smiling at the Titan's words, Akiva then noticed Zantilis' gaze shift, his eyes hovering above his shoulder as the latter stated, "Oh, you're Carina-23, right?"

Turning around to fixate his gaze better, Akiva couldn't help but let a sheepish smile flash onto his pale features as he saw arc light flicker around the female Exo's arms, the latter having long ago removed her helmet before letting out a huff as she scoffed, "Yes."

Then without warning, Zantilis walked up to the female Exo – much to Akiva's surprise – and held out a hand, startling the Exo Titan as he added, "You put up a great fight, Carina-23." He then winked, "Just make sure that you're far enough from your opponent to dodge shotgun bullets."

Akiva could easily sense anger flaring from the female Exo but the human Titan watched Carina reach out and wrap her hand around the Titan's and almost immediately, Akiva easily saw her grip close entirely, earning a startled yelp from Zantilis before he snapped his hand back. Wide eyed, Akiva fixated his gaze onto Carina as he heard Zantilis curse silently under his breath, and the human Titan can easily see the satisfied smirk on the Exo's silver features as Zantilis cradled his smashed fingers.

"Carina," Akiva watched Angel place a hand onto the female Titan's shoulder, removing his helmet with his free hand to reveal the look of disapproval in his green eyes, "Really?"

Instead of immediately giving the Hunter a response, Carina let out a shrug, earning a sigh from the Human Hunter who opted to shake his head before releasing his hold on the female Exo's shoulder. This gave Akiva the opportunity to walk over to Zantilis, the Titan having long ago shook out his injury and now flexing his hand, moving it around to assess it as his Ghost glided around it, "I apologize, Zantilis, Carina gets…sore when it comes to losses."

Half expecting the Titan to snap back, Akiva instead was surprised to see Zantilis respond with a smile, "It's alright. All is forgiven." He then held up his hand as his Ghost hovered away and glided over to his shoulder, revealing his hand now healed, "Just a scratch for us Guardians, h'm?" Zantilis then lowered his hand to his side as he added, "Don't worry, I was the same when I was her age." The Titan then reached out and patted Akiva on the shoulder, "She will grow out of it." Zantilis then gave Akiva a knowing smile, "Like we 'all' did."

That's when the human Guardian's face flushed, earning a chuckle from Zantilis before receiving another pat on the shoulder, "I'll see you and your friends around." He then turned to his Ghost, "Come on Giz, we have a raid to attend to."

"Just as long as you don't bring that damn machine gun with you," Zantilis' Ghost muttered before he and his Guardian headed towards the Hangar, the Titan giving one last wave of goodbye to the group of three before disappearing into the crowd.

"…What did he mean when he said 'well all did'?" Akiva turned to face Angel, the human Hunter raised a brow at the Titan, "Does age matter in the Crucible?"

"Not, necessarily," The Titan admitted, "You see, most Guardians who participate in the Crucible often can always spot the younger Guardians. And how? Well, the younger the Guardian, the more of a sore loser they are."

"Hey," Carina glowered, earning a sheepish smile from the human Titan, "What Zantilis meant when he said 'well all did' is that both he and I were just like Carina at her age: sore at every loss."

"I am 'not' a sore loser," The female Exo declared, earning a blank look from Angel, "Carina, you just crushed Zantilis' hand because you lost against him."

Instead of immediately responding, Carina instead narrowed her optics and scoffed, earning another sheepish smile from Akiva.

"Akiva?"

Jumping, the human Titan quickly regained his composure as his golden eyes locked onto the single golden optic of his Ghost, Lex twirling his yellow and white fins as he added, "Aleeza sent us a message: She wants you guys to head to her quarters."

This earned the Ghost a bewildered look from the Guardians, "Why is that?"

Twirling his back fins once more, Lex simply stated, "She said, you will see."

Xxxxx

Gaia couldn't believe why they had decided sneaking into the Tower was a good idea. They had at first, tried Pluto's frequency but all they had received was white noise and a message clearing stating 'busy'. Seeing no other choice, Gaia snuck aboard a Guardian's ship and soon found themselves in the Hangar. The gold and crimson Ghost then had taken the opportunity to glide around rooms in search of a familiar face; mainly Exo faces but they had reached no such luck. Even worse, no sooner had they materialized into another room when Gaia witnessed a Warlock trying on the Claws of Ahamkara and before the Ghost could stop themselves, had called out to the Guardian before taking the gloves into their own inventory. Now here they are, trapped by the light of the Guardian's Ghost as they reluctantly dropped the pair of gloves onto the floor, the Warlock seemingly not please of their earlier actions.

"Thank you," The Warlock stated as she leaned over and snatched the pieces of armor off the floor and – to the relief of the Ghost – tossed them back onto her desk, "Now, why would you say those gloves are dangerous?"

Gaia blinked at the female Warlock, "Are you a newborn? 'Every' Guardian knows what those gloves are capable of." This earned the Ghost a raised brow from the Awoken Warlock, "Those are just stories."

The gold and crimson Ghost scoffed, "Stories? They are more than just 'stories'. They are fact and those auditory hallucinations you hear about are as real as your basic knowledge of armor piece history."

A frown was given to Gaia in response to his words, "Huh, you know, for a wandering Ghost, you know a lot about armor pieces."

"Who said that I am a wandering Ghost?" Gaia gave the Warlock a flabbergasted look, taken back from the female Awoken's words, "Just look at my optic. Is that not proof enough that I have a Guardian?"

Watching the female Warlock lean over and squint through the light of her Ghost, Gaia heard the Warlock let out a huff, as if surprised by the truth of the gold and crimson Ghost's words, "Then where is your Guardian?"

This caused Gaia to pause, scrunching their parts together as they saw the Awoken female further scrutinize them, waiting for the Ghost to respond, "Well…I-"

The sound of doors sliding opening caused the Ghost to turn in their light prison and pause, their yellow optic falling upon a familiar face, "You! You are Carina-23 correct?"

Gaia watched the violet optics of the female Exo blink in in surprise, coming to a complete halt mid step into the room before familiarity flickered into her gaze, "Wait, you're Gaia."

"Gaia?" Recognizing the voice, the Ghost shifted their gaze onto the human Hunter, the latter of which gawked at the sight of the gold and crimson Ghost, "What the in Darkness are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back at the bunker with Sun?"

"Wait a minute, this is Sun's Ghost?" Gaia heard the Warlock behind him sputter, shock apparent in her voice as her Ghost gasped, the surprise apparently distracting enough for the light surrounding Gaia to dissipate long enough for the Ghost to glide out of reach of the female Warlock and glide over to the Exo Titan, coming to a stop just short of her face, "Where is Pluto? I need to speak to him."

Gaia watched the metallic features on Carina's face shift, her violet optics going wide before her gaze turned into one of bewilderment, "Now why would you need to talk to Pluto?"

"It's an emergency," Gaia immediately responded, ignoring the puzzled looks on the surround Guardian's faces, "I can't state why, not when these 'humans' are present. I just need to make contact with him."

Sensing the narrowed glance from the female Exo, Gaia instead brushed off the glare, waiting in anticipation as the Titan's shoulders slumped, a sigh escaping her lips, "If you really want to know, Pluto is out on a training program on Venus."

This earned Carina a single blink from the Ghost, "What?"

"The Galaxy Clan is coming back," Carina deadpanned, her words causing Gaia's optic to widen, "Pluto brought the newborns to Venus in order to learn about the Vex and have turned off his frequency so as to not be interrupted."

"Galaxy clan coming back," Gaia couldn't help but glide backwards, giddiness filling up inside their systems, "That's great news! Wait until Sun-" That's when they paused, earning more puzzled looks from the surrounding Guardians before the Ghost shook their core side to side, "No! No! No time to be distracted!" They then focused their attention back onto Carina, "Sun-7 needs your help!"

Silence permeated through the room, leaving only the slight buzzing of the hovering form of the Ghosts present in the room ringing through the air.

"What do you mean they need our help?" It was the human Titan next to Carina who spoke, his golden eyes gleaming with both concern and bewilderment as he added, "Don't they have Rasputin?"

Narrowing their single optic at the human, Gaia added, "Normally yes, but Taken have broken into the bunker." Seeing the wide eyed looks on the Guardians faces, the Ghost added, "That is why I need Pluto's help but since he is not here, will you be able to give us aid, Carina-23?"

The gold and crimson Ghost then spotted a smirk forming onto the female Exo's features, her optics gleaming with determination as she added, "So Taken is in the bunker now, eh?" She then curled one of her hands into a fist and punched it into her opposing hand, "Always wanted to face them. Just let my team and I get ready and – "

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Gaia's single yellow optic widen at the female Exo, "The Awoken I don't mind you bringing along with you but the humans?" The Ghost nodded their body once at the human Hunter and Titan, earning bewildered looks from the latter, "I am not letting you bring ' humans' into Rasputin's bunker."

This earned the Ghost a puzzled look from Carina, "Why not? They're my Fireteam. My Family."

"But are they trustworthy?" Gaia blurted out, earning another glare from the female Exo, "Are they not going to abandon you the moment things go awry? Or leave you as bait to ensure their own survival?"

"What the fuck are you talking about-" The Ghost watched Carina come to a pause, her violet optics going wide as the realization dawned on her, "Wait a minute, don't tell me…"

Gaia responded with a nod, "There is a reason why Sun-7 only made a Clan full of Exo, young light, and their experience does not just limit to non-Guardians as well."

Seeing the hesitation in the younger Exo's optics, Gaia added, "If it will make you feel better, you can bring the Awoken with you." The Ghost nodded their core towards the female Warlock, "Although you are leaving the gloves, I will not risk you getting possessed by the vengeance of the Ahamkara."

"I bet your pardon."

Ignoring the narrowed glances of the female Awoken, Gaia forcused their attention back onto Carina, "So, what do you say?"

Watching the female Exo glance back and forth between her team and the Ghost, Gaia watched her take in a breath, her violet optics revealing determination as she revealed her answer, "No."

Gaia reeled back, "What? But I thought-"

"Not unless my team comes with me," Carian interrupted, causing the Ghost to pause, "I don't care how dire your Guardian is in, but if my team does not come with me, my 'family', I am 'not' going to help." She then narrowed her violet optics, "Do you understand me?"

Gaia couldn't help but let rage tremble throughout their core, their yellow optics glancing around the faces of the Guardians present, eyeing the two humans in particular. The Ghost could not comprehend why the Exo in front of them consider those 'meat bags' as family; Darkness, Gaia couldn't even comprehend why even Pluto could stand being around their presence. Gaia had always been present with their Guardian when these 'misunderstandings' from human Guardians occur, and somehow, the humans always seemed to get away with it, further damaging the trust that Sun once held towards their organic counterparts. The Ghost then recalled the last straw, when a fellow human Guardian shot Sun in the leg in order to give himself time to run away from an ambush of Fallen. If it wasn't for the fact that their Guardian had mastered the rare Solar Light, Sun surely would have fallen that day.

"Fine," Gaia forced out, keeping their parts scrunched together in frustration, "you may bring your 'organic' comrades with you. Just don't blame me when things go awry and they abandon you." Then with a huff, Gaia glided over to the window, "I'll will be waiting for you all at the Hangar." They then narrow their single optic at the group of Guardians, "Do 'not' keep me waiting."

Gaia then materialized through the window, gliding through the air towards the familiar airstrip.

Xxxxx

"What the hell is their problem?" It was Lena who spoke, the ruby and white Ghost turning her crimson optic towards her Guardian, only to receive a shrug from the female Warlock, "If you want an honest answer, I don't know, but I feel like they carry a lot of hate towards humanity."

"Like that isn't obvious," Carina scoffed as she crossed her arms, her violet optics still glaring at the window that Gaia had exited from, "Sure their Guardian maybe a fellow Exo but there is no fucking way I am letting them get away with disrespecting any of you guys."

"Aaaw, you care," Aleeza teased as she walked over, cusped both her hands onto Carina's cheeks and gave the female Exo a peck on the nose, causing the Titan tilt her head slightly in a fluster. Brushing away her lover's hands, Carina then coughed into her fist, "So, should we inform the Vanguard about this? They will be curious as to why we're heading the Cosmodrome 'without' Pluto and Ianos."

"No," All eyes turned towards Akiva, "Remember, Sun-7 is supposed to be 'dead' and you know what happen to those who turn rogue."

"They get imprisoned right?" All eyes turned towards Angel, "What?"

"Oh dear," Aleeza heaved out a sigh as she shook her head, "You really are an innocent individual, Angel."

"What?" The Human Hunter repeated, confusion clear in his green eyes, "What happen to Guardians that turn rogue?"

"They're hunted down," Akiva responded, earning a gawking look from the younger Guardian, "if they're willing to return to the Tower, they are simply let go 'without' their Ghosts."

"Excuse me?" It was Carina who spoke this time, "I thought they were simply returned to the Tower and tried. I was not told that Guardians are forced apart from their Ghosts."

"Why do you think Guardians go rogue in the first place, Carina?" Aleeza asked, causing the female Exo to go silent, "True, most Guardians are dedicated to their duty on protecting the last safe place on Earth however, there are others who no longer wish to take part in this fight and wish to live on a normal life."

"Those who verbally express this however, have their Ghosts 'confiscated'," Akiva added in, earning a wide eyed look from the younger Guardians, "and as you know, many Guardians cannot bear the thought of living without their Ghosts and as such, many of them take their own lives, leaving their Ghosts with no Guardian if they are caught."

"Which I suspect is what the Consensus wish to occur," the female Warlock muttered, "which is why many Guardians go rogue. They wish to stop fighting but also do not wish for their Ghosts to be taken from them."

"And their Ghosts wish the same," Akiva shrugged at the puzzled expressions on Carina and Angel's faces, "Why do you think the Ghosts don't report themselves as 'missing'? They partake in it as much as their Guardians."

"But if they are found, there are forced to part with their Ghosts anyway?" Angel sighed at the nod he received from the human Titan, "What about those who refuse to willingly head back to the Tower? What happens to them?"

The twins then took the opportunity to glance back at each other, hesitation clear in their eyes as the younger Guardians stared in slight curiosity, waiting for the answer.

"A fight usually occurs," Akiva finally answered, "Followed by the execution of the Guardian once they have been apprehended."

"Wait, what?" Angel gave the twins a baffled look, "I refuse to believe that Guardians hunt other Guardians only to kill them in the end. I 'refuse' to believe that."

The human Titan heaved out a sigh at this, "Kid, I know the Vanguard teaches you that 'everything' they do is for the sake of the Light and that there are no evil intentions behind them. But do hear this, just because we claim to be Heroes of Light, doesn't mean we do not perform 'dark deeds'."

Akiva's words caused the younger Guardians to go silent, doubt and bewilderment clear in their eyes as the human Titan heaved out another sigh, a cue for Aleeza to break the silence, "As such, the Vanguard should not be informed of Sun's survival. Without a doubt, as soon as Rasputin is safe, Sun 'will' be hunted and their life will be at risk if they informed. We cannot risk that." She then hummed silently to herself, "Should we inform Pluto and Ianos, though? They are privy to Sun's survival."

"I already left Pluto a message," Akiva stated, "Ianos however, not right now. It's too risky."

At first, Akiva received a puzzled look from his twin before her eyes widen in realization, "Oh of course, the active frequency."

"So that means, we aren't going to gain any back up or any aid from Pluto and Ianos unless Pluto somehow miraculously gets to his frequency on time to offer us aid?" Angel heaved out a sigh at the nod he received from the human Titan, "Of course, why do I consider anything different?"

"On the upside, we get to face the Taken," Carina's violet optics beamed at the thought, "I heard that they are tougher foes than the other enemies we face. I always wanted to face a challenge."

"Be careful what you wish for, love," Aleeza tutted, "You may get more than what you expect."

Instead of responding to her lover's words, Carina simply shrugged with a grin still plastered onto her metallic features before she leaned over and gave the Awoken female a kiss on the nose, the latter responding with a soft smile.

That's when the familiar static of the intercom rang through the room, "Fireteam Redacted. You are needed at the Hall of Guardians. Fireteam Redacted. You are needed."

As soon as the familiar 'click' rang into the Guardian's ears, all eyes turned towards each other, panic easily setting into four pairs of eyes.

"So, how are we going to fool the Vanguard this time?" Angel asked.

* * *

 _Yes, Sun- 7 has made a return and so is the Galaxy Clan :D_

 _I will introduce Orion and the other new members of the Clan later but for right now, I want to focus on Sun-7 and this arc specifically. You'll see why later C:_

 _Yes, I named them Fireteam Redacted since I was on a block on a proper name for the team but decided Redacted to be perfect since to be honest, they always break away from Vanguard missions and do their own thing alongside the fact that they keep a lot of secrets away from the Vanguard in general. So I thought 'Redacted' would be nice lol._

 _Anyways, Zantilis belongs to Zantilis._

 _To_ _Zantilis \- I apologize if your character is out of character. I sent you a message on his personality but I never got a response back. So I apologize once again._

 _Also to those that have submitted a character to me - I am 'getting' there it just taking me some time like seriously, I didn't expect some chapters to be as long as they are and it's taking a while to get to the point int he story where your characters will be introduced. Until then, I apologize for the wait._


	30. Organics

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Organics_**

 _I apologize for the late update, I was trying to figure out how to transfer Rise of Iron to another Gamestop so I can get to the midnight release but figured out it was too much of a hassle. So will have to wait until tomorrow to get mine -w-;;;  
_

 _Anyway, thanks to Mantic64, Fin the Demigod, zantilis, and Nightshade2559 for the reviews!_

 _Fin the Demigod_ _\- Yeah, I already have the sequel in mind although it might take a while before I publish that here lol. Anyways, yes I am having plans to incorporate SIVA into the Sequel although won't have fixed ideas until after I play Rise of Iron. I 'might' incorporate Fireteam Redacted into the final fight of Oryx but it's a 'strong' maybe atm. And Thank you! ^_^  
_

* * *

When other Guardians look at Fireteam Redacted, all they see are a group of troublemakers who break the 'common' rules of Guardians, such as soliciting with Fallen or turning their guns against fellow Soldiers of Light. But like many redacted files, the Fireteam carry secrets amongst themselves that even those they hold close outside of the team are ignorant about, such as the existence of Sun-7, still alive and well within the very walls of Rasputin's bunker or the location of the House of Spirits. Thanks to this, lying and keeping a straight face was needed to keep such secrets safe, much to Angel's chagrin, the Hunter doing his best to act 'natural', something he finds incredibly hard to perform when it comes to the Vanguard. True, he is able to bluff his way through a game of cards (what Hunter couldn't?) and rake in a mountain of glimmer when he's low on funds but that's with other Guardians, strangers he mostly likely won't interact again until years later. But the Vanguard he sees every day and it doesn't help that Cayde-6, the Hunter Vanguard, kept eyeing the team, specifically Angel's, as Fireteam Redacted stood near the war table. But nonetheless, Angel kept the best poker face he could muster as Akiva asked, "You called for us?"

Nodding her head once, Angel watched Ikora fold her arms behind her back, a sign that the Hunter recognizes that she is to begin speaking, "Zavala, Cayde, and I have noticed your 'lack' of activity lately, which is understandable considering that two of your members are absent."

From the corner of his eye, Angel could see Akiva let out a shrug, "Well, kind of hard to get around when pretty much seventy five percent of the team's strength is absent."

"Hey, we're not 'that' weak."

"You know it's true, Carina."

Listening to the female Exo grumble under her breath, Angel fixated his gaze back onto the Vanguard as Zavala spoke, "We completely understand, but we also came to believe Fireteam Redacted have remained idle for too long. It is time for you to return to the field."

This caused the Fireteam to go silent, saying nothing but stare wide eyed at the three Guardians before them.

"Excuse me?" It was Aleeza who spoke this time, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean when you say that we haven't been 'active' for a while but-"

"The Crucible doesn't count," Cayde interrupted, reigning the female Warlock into silence, "At least, in this circumstance it doesn't."

Sensing the narrowed glance from the female Warlock, Angel could easily tell Cayde was on edge from the Awoken's glare, from the way he rolled his shoulders slightly and then shrugged soon after, "This mission isn't too difficult if that makes things any easier. Just sweep the area and see if there's any threats. If you do spot anything that can be a threat to the City and any nearby settlements, wipe them out."

Angel couldn't help but give the Vanguard a doubtful look, "And where is this mission taking place?"

"Mars," Ikora responded, earning a wide eyed look from the younger Guardians, "I believe it's time to let Guardians Angel and Carina-23 to work outside of Earth's atmosphere once more."

"Don't we get a choice out of this?" Angel blurted, immediately earning the gaze of the three Vanguard, "I mean, yes, it would be nice to venture to another planet but do you think that Carina and I can handle it?"

"You have two experienced Guardians standing next to you right now," Ikora's answer was immediate, stern and confident, something that caused Angel to pause, "They will have your back and if anything goes awry, they will-"

"I'm sorry Lady Ikora, but we have to respectfully decline."

Eyes wide, Angel turned his green gaze towards Akiva and to his surprise, the once sheepish smile and gaze had harden, a frown now visible on his pale features and his golden hues narrowed. The human Titan's words obviously took the Warlock Vanguard off guard, "Excuse me?"

"It is true that Aleeza and I are 'experienced' especially when it comes to Mars and it is true that we more than capable of keeping an eye on Angel and Carina but, that is not what's bothering me," Akiva stated, "What I severely dislike is that you're pushing them."

Now it was Zavala's turn to blink at Akiva, "What do you mean?"

That's when Angel saw the human Titan nod his head towards him, "It is quite obvious that Angel is hesitant on going to Mars, especially without Pluto and Ianos with us. But yet you're ignoring how he feels about it and instead more worried about our 'performance'."

The Titan commander frown at the Titan, "Akiva I understand your concern, however-"

"We are not just 'tools', 'Commander'," Angel eyes widen at the human Titan's words, "We have 'feelings' like any other non-guardian civilian. I am tired of the fact that we are being treated otherwise." Ignoring shocked looks on the three Vanguards faces, Akiva continued, "If this makes you feel any better, we were planning to go out on patrol in the Cosmodrome. Consider it as a 'warm up' from weeks of 'inactivity'." Angel then saw Akiva turned his golden hues towards him and Carina, giving the two of them a warm smile, "What do you two say?"

At first, puzzled at Akiva's sudden change in attitude caused Angel to stay silent, eyes wide in shock at the human Titan's words. Then his mind clicked, the Titan's words slowly piecing together before the human Hunter nodded, letting out a sheepish smile in response, "Yes, I wouldn't mind that."

"Me as well," Carina piped in, her voice chipper and beaming, a sign of her cooperation, "I wouldn't want to go to Mars without a bit of a 'warm up', as you say."

That's when Angel watched Akiva turn his golden hues towards the Vanguard, the smile still on his pale features as he added, "So, anything to say?"

If Angel had words to explain the look of bewilderment and shock on the Titan and Warlock Vanguards' faces, he would say it was a look of a Guardian seeing Crota rise up from the depths of his grave, sword in hand. However, when the young Hunter turned his gaze towards Cayde, he paused at the amused look on the Vanguard Hunter's face before the Exo turned and locked his light azure optics with Angel's green hues. Before the human Guardian could comprehend the shift in gaze, Angel reeled back at the wink he received from the older Hunter, causing Angel to give Cayde a bewildered look.

"We…apologize for the delay, Fireteam Redacted," Ikora's words caused Angel to snap his attention back to the Warlock Vanguard, "You are dismissed."

Blinking several times, Angel waited until he was the last to move towards the exit, taking a couple of steps backwards as he turned his focus back onto Cayde. The Hunter Vanguard noticed this.

"Have fun," Cayde chirped as he gave the team a slight wave and it was only then, Angel finally understood the Hunter Vanguards chill reaction to Akiva's words.

Xxxxx

The Three Vanguard watched Fireteam Redacted leave the Hall, the three standing in silence until it was finally Ikora who broke the silence, "Do you think that we have been 'harsh' lately?"

Zavala turned his icy blue gaze towards the female Warlock, "I understand where Akiva is coming from, but he has to realize that this is a war zone. There is no time to 'coddle' young Guardians such as Angel and Carina-23."

Suddenly, a snicker could be heard from across the table, causing both Ikora and Zavala to turn this focus towards the Hunter Vanguard.

"Cayde," Ikora stated, causing the Exo to turn his blue gaze towards the female Vanguard, "Is there something you find funny?"

That's when the two Vanguard saw Cayde's metallic features upturn into a smile, bewildering the Titan and Warlock as the Hunter stated, "Nothing, nothing. Just remembered a joke is all."

Xxxxx

"Hey Ora~ Ora~ Ora~ Ora~"

Aleeza couldn't help but smile at the sight of her twin fawning over her nephew, the latter of which giggled in his mother's arms before reaching out with chubby limbs, a sign for Akiva to slip his hands under his son's arms and bring him close to his chest.

"It's finally nice to see that all of you leaving the Tower," Aleeza could see the softness in Neve's eyes as she smiled, listening to Akiva play with their child, "it's strange to see all of you stay in one place, especially you, Angel."

Having taken a seat in the living area of Fireteam Blaze's quarters, Angel's face flushed at the female Warlock's words, "Well, I wasn't going to go anywhere without my team. Doesn't feel right somehow, despite how much I longed to be out in the Wilds."

"Well this is your chance," Neve stated, turning her green eyes over to Akiva as he shifted in his seat next to her, cradling their child in his arms.

Although only six months, baby Oraxsis is already long limbed and babbling, sometimes pointing at things and saying something incoherent in an attempt to get what he wants. Although he has inherited the fair skin of his mother, Oraxsis' golden eyes and dark brown strands matched Akiva's perfectly, seemingly almost a clone when carried in the arms of his father.

"Daddy is going out in the field~ Daddy is not going to see you for a while~" Akiva pretty much sang, much to the amusement of everyone present, especially for young Ora who cooed and laughed at his father's actions, "Daddy is going to bring you back a present~ Would you like that huh~? Would you like that~?"

"Akiva please," Neve snorted as she reached over and playfully smacked the human Titan on the shoulder, earning a wide grin from the Guardian, "Stop bringing him 'presents', especially items that he can't use."

"What? An eye of a Servitor not enough to be used as a ball?" Akiva asked, only to receive a chuckle from everyone present in the room, much to his bewilderment, "What?"

"How is home life treating you, Neve?" Aleeza asked as she leaned back in her seat, "Anything 'exciting' happening?"

"Besides raising a child? No," Neve admitted although the human Warlock kept the warm smile on her fair features, "Although it's a nice change compared to shooting Vex in the face and blasting Cabal with Solar light."

"And don't forget to add the Trials and Iron Banner," Ula added, the female Warlock's ghost twisting her red fins once as she continued, "Who would have thought that the 'Firestorm' would live a life of a housewife."

"Oh shush you," Neve reached out to grab the red Ghost only for the latter to let out a playful squeal before hovering out of reach, earning the female Warlock a chorus of laughter from Fireteam Redacted.

"So, do you think your performance fooled them?" It was Carina who asked the question to the Human Titan, the latter of which shrugged before reluctantly handing Oraxsis back to Neve, the child letting out a small whine before laughing once more at the smiling face of his mother.

"Well, to be honest, I think I fooled Zavala and Ikora perfectly. Cayde however," Akiva shrugged once more, "All Hunter's do have sharp eyes, kind of hard to hide 'anything' from them."

"Pfft, I believe that. Pluto has no use of his eyes but yet, he still can spot enemies from halfway across the arena if he wants to." Carina laughed, "Just a Hunter thing I guess?"

All eyes turned towards Angel, the latter of which let out a sheepish smile, "Sort of a 'trait' amongst Hunters if you know what I mean?"

"So if he spotted your lie, then why didn't he say anything?" Carina asked, turning her violet optics towards Akiva, "I mean, that's the Vanguards job right? To say something once they see something wrong."

"Usually, unless you're Cayde," Akiva chuckled, earning a bewildered look from the female Exo, "Let's just say this, if Cayde senses no malicious intent, he won't interfere. Darkness, he sometimes join in on the shenanigans if it enables him to leave the Tower, even momentarily."

"Pfft, Hunters do like adrenaline," Carina grinned at the blank look she received from Angel, "Oh, and Titans are any different?"

"Oh come on, you know we have better armor."

"Doesn't mean you have to rush headlong into a group of enemies with nothing but your fists."

Carina snorted, "Okay, you got me there."

"Well, before you head out into the field, it is nice of you to come and visit," Neve gave Fireteam Redacted another smile, "It has been a little lonely in here after being placed in 'maternity' leave."

"The offer still stands to have Snowflake and Faith keep you company," Aleeza chirped, "The cats have been left alone in our apartments lately, even now."

"Is that safe for Ora though?" Aleeza could see Neve's eyes shift, the human Warlock letting out a small hum as she added, "Two cats and a baby? I don't know…"

"Hey, it might convince Alyx to stay around longer too," Angel chuckled, earning a smile from the female Warlock, "You know how the big guy is around those cats. He might make 'excuses' just to stick around so he can tend to them."

This caused the human Warlock to laugh, "Good point." That's when Oraxsis' whining echoed through the room, causing all eyes to turn towards the baby, the latter of which then pursed his lips, his golden eyes staring intensely at his mother.

"It's feeding time, apparently," Neve announced, her words causing the frown on Ora's face to immediately shift to laughter, his golden eyes beaming, "I guess this is time to say this: have fun out in the Cosmodrome." She then gave Fireteam Redacted a light wave before she stood up and exited the room with Ula following not too far behind her, leaving the Guardians alone in the living area.

"So, everyone ready to go?" Akiva asked, gaining a nod from everyone else as an answer. However as he stood up, Aleeza's voice suddenly piped in, "So, when are you and Neve going to make more?"

That caused the human Titan to stumble over his feet, his flushing face causing the rest of his team to follow suit in his sister's laughter.

Xxxxx

Hiding behind some crates, Gaia sighed to themselves, scrunching their parts together to ensure that they remained hidden. After having calmed themselves after the interaction with Carina-23, Gaia soon found it strange to be back in the Tower, despite the circumstances. Although that didn't stop Gaia from peeking around, gliding around cautiously once they believe that any curious eyes were faced away from them. It was only after peeking around the Hangar that Gaia realized just how much have changed since both they and Sun had left the Tower.

The Shipwright – Amanda from snatches of conversations they could grab – was definitely not the dark haired woman that Gaia had known in their earlier years, those dark brown eyes definitely contrasting against Amanda's bright blues. The Concordat was also absent, replaced by another faction that Gaia recognizes as the Future War Cult; a Faction that they had remember had a presence but held no real power until recently from what they had seen. Even the Hangar itself had went through some changes; the little room where the Future War Cult had set up wasn't there when both Gaia and Sun had left and the Hangar definitely had expanded in size the last time Gaia had last checked; the Ghost recalls that that not many Guardians had ships, a rarity back then, but now, a commodity.

Snapping themselves out of thought, Gaia finally recognized the copper clad Exo Titan making her way down the steps, the Ghost's yellow eyes soon narrowing at the group following behind her. Glancing back and forth to ensure no eyes were on them, Gaia took the opportunity to glide towards the Fireteam, immediately catching their attention.

"What took you so long?" Gaia hissed out as they glided to a pause in front of the four Guardians, "Decided to sit down and have a meal and drinks?"

"Oh calm your metallic fins," Carina retorted, Gaia clearly seeing the frown on her silver features, "We're here aren't we? Just send the coordinates to our Ghosts and we'll fly there."

"No, not to all of your Ghosts, just yours," The gold and crimson Ghost easily could sense the glare emitting from the female Exo, "I have stated this clearly before, I 'do not' trust organics, especially 'humans'." Gaia spat out the last word in disgust, their yellow optic glaring at the two humans standing on Carina's left side, "I only agreed to let them come for Sun's sake but in this case, I am sending the coordinates to 'your' Ghost, not theirs. Not until I know that they're competent enough to at least not to stab you in the back."

"They're competent enough to handle these 'Taken' that Sun 'and' Rasputin seem to have trouble getting rid of," Carina snarled back, earning another narrowed glance from the gold and crimson Ghost, "Send Spears the coordinates and both my 'team' and 'I' will the handle situation." Watching the violet and green Ghost glide into view above the female Exo's shoulder, Gaia then heard Carina add, "Just make sure that your 'Guardian' is ready to witness just how 'competent' my team and I are."

Scrunching their parts closer to their core, Gaia let out a scoff before gliding over and streaming their light into the violet and green Ghost, "The two of us will be waiting 'if' that day ever comes."

Sensing the glare of the female Exo once more, Gaia waited until the transfer of data was done before following the Exo Titan towards her ship, materializing into the cockpit after the rest of the team followed suit. Although Gaia is currently frustrated towards the female Titan, their distrust of the other Guardians present was even stronger, they were not going to risk hitching a ride with 'organics'. Feeling the ship rock and shift around them, Gaia glided towards one corner of the cockpit, making themselves comfortable in a shelf as they felt the ship lift off. Letting the silence fill the air, Gaia heaved out a single sigh before closing their single optic, letting the silence lull the storm within their core.

{ _"So, can I ask why you're in such a dour mood?"}_

Snapping their core open, Gaia immediately snapped up into the air and shot their parts out, feeling one part of their fins come into contact with a loud 'clink' which soon was followed by a small yelp of surprise. Startled and confused, Gaia immediately reformed their shell around their core and it was only then they noticed the violet and green Ghost, the latter of which had their parts scrunch close to their core and releasing what Gaia recognized as small curses.

"What happened back there?'

{ _"Nothing. Nothing."}_

Gaia watched as the Ghost before them shook their shell, their parts shifting slightly before locking back into place around the violet and green Ghost's core, { _"Just accidentally bumped into something is all."}_

The gold and crimson Ghost heard Carina let out a snort, "Why are you always such a klutz, Spears."

{ _"Shut up."}_

Gaia then heard the female Exo let out a short laugh which ended quickly as the latter focused her attention back onto piloting her jumpship, the familiar blue sky and clear clouds familiar through the window of the cockpit.

{ _"I am guessing that since you had been with your Guardian the longest, that what you just did is out of reflex for defense, am I correct?"}_

Snapping their attention back towards Spears, Gaia watched the Ghost spin their back fin, his single violet optic blinking once as he waited for an answer, "Yes. Back before the time of the City, there were many Fallen who would 'love' to get their hands on a Ghost." Gaia then lifted their parts up and down in a Ghost equivalent of a shrug, "What else are we supposed to do when our Guardian is down for the count and we have nothing but ourselves to fend off those scavengers?"

The Ghost then heard Spears chuckle, { _"Good point."}_ The violet and green Ghost then let out a small hum, gliding around the gold and crimson Ghost as if admiring Gaia's shell, { _"So, are you going to answer my question?"}_

Gaia gave Spears a puzzled look, "Didn't I just answer it?"

{ _"Not that question, the first one."_ }

Reeling back slightly from the smaller Ghost's words, Gaia quickly regained their composure, fixating their yellow optic onto Spears', "Why do you ask?"

Spears then snorted, { _"I mean c'mon. I know Ghosts can relate themselves to Exo better since we're all 'metals and wires' but I have never met a Ghost who carry so much hate for 'organics', specifically humans."_ }

Gaia then narrowed their yellow optic at the violet and green Ghost, "And here I thought that a fellow Ghost who have an Exo as a Guardian would understand, but I guess I was wrong."

That's when Gaia noticed Spears blinked once, their violet optic now blank of any friendliness or emotion as he added, { _"Look, I understand where you are coming from."_ } He then heaved out a sigh, { _"It's true that Carina is 'young' compared to your Guardian but she experienced her fair share of prejudice, hell, even from other Guardians."_ }

"Then why both you and your Guardian surround yourselves with these 'organics'? These 'humans'." Gaia hissed out, earning another blank look from the smaller Ghost.

{ _"Because where does all that hate bring us?"}_ Spears' answer caused Gaia to recoil back, their parts pressing against their core as the violet and green Ghost continued, { _"Both Carina and I tried isolating ourselves from other Guardians at only a few months old, mainly for the reason that Carina already had half her memories retained when she first resurrected and many of which are during the time when Exo were protesting against their so called 'creators'. She 'despised' humans or any other organic that shows any sign of similarity with them. Carina wanted no part of humanity."_ }

"Well obviously something changed," Gaia muttered out, "What happened?"

Momentarily silent, Spears spun the back part of his fins several times, putting the bigger Ghost on edge as the silence continued to loom between the two before the violet and green Ghost finally stated, { _"She met Angel."_ }

That's when Gaia gave the smaller Ghost a doubtful look, "The 'human' Hunter?" The gold and crimson Ghost recoiled at the single nod from Spears, "What? What was so special about 'him' that made her change her opinion on 'organics'? On 'humans'?"

{ _"Because he knows how it feels to be hated."_ }

Gaia blinked, "What?"

{" _You probably don't know this but Angel is renowned for forming the alliance between the Tower and a newly formed Fallen House, the House of Spirits."_ } Spears explained, { _"Before that however, Angel was constantly called a 'traitor', a 'scavenger lover' thanks to the fact that he was trained to fight by the Fallen when he was just a newborn Guardian. And he voiced it constantly back then."_ } Spears chuckled fondly, earning a bewildered look from Gaia, { _"I remember the day when Carina found him seated alone cafeteria, speaking to his Ghost in a tongue that no one recognizes. Although she hated humans, she decided to give him a try after hearing many whispers and pointing of fingers."_ } He then paused, his violet optic seemingly going distant as he continued to recount, { _"The instant Carina took a seat, Angel immediate shifted his attention towards her and to our surprise, he greeted us with kind words. In honesty, we had expected him to lash out towards us. It is after all what several Guardians had reacted towards my Guardian."}_

"And is that what changed her mind?" Gaia asked, only to blink once when Spears shook their core, "Then what did?"

{" _We were in the training area when a group of Guardians walked in and when they had noticed the 'Traitor' and an Exo intermingle, both Angel and Carina were targeted. In honesty I thought Angel was going to leave us when four experienced Guardians meandered up to two newborns. However, to my surprise, Angel stood his ground. He made no attempts to defend himself but made it obvious he wasn't going to let 'anyone' insult Carina."_ Spears let out a short laugh, startling the bigger Ghost, { _"Aaah, the innocence of youth."_ } The violet and green Ghost refocused his attention back onto Gaia, { _"The two of them stuck together after that, all the way up to present day as we speak."_ } Spears then let out a small snort, { _"Although Angel stopped voicing publicly about his feelings towards Fallen. It was the only way to ensure that both he and Carina weren't targeted when they wandered around the Tower."_ }

Momentarily quiet, Gaia let the new information fill their mind before they stated, "So what? He defended her once and it was enough to gain her trust?"

{ _"That 'one' defense made a message clear to Carina."}_ Spears retorted, reigning the bigger Ghost into silence, { _"That although some humans never change, not 'all' believe in the same system. Not 'all' humans are 'the same'."_ } The smaller Ghost then heaved out a sigh, closing their violet optic once before he shook his core side to side, { _"I truly understand where you are coming from, Gaia. I truly do. But after meeting Angel, after meeting 'Pure One', it made us both realize that just because they are human or organic, doesn't mean that they will be the same as those who treated us with such prejudice."_ }

Letting the words of the small Ghost roll into their mind, Gaia only could respond with a blink, causing Spears to heave out another sigh, { _"I am not going to force you but please, if you do not mind, give the others a chance."_ } The Ghost then shifted his parts up and down, { _"Who knows? They could be different than those other 'organics' you have met in real life."_ }

Spears' words caused Gaia to let out a scoff, "Oh, and what makes you think that?"

Instead of an immediate answer, Gaia watched Spears refocus his single violet optic onto the gold and crimson Ghost, { _"There's Ianos."_ }

Almost immediately, Gaia recoiled, flinching at the name as if they were shot by a Vandal's bolt shot, "H-he doesn't count!"

This earned the bigger Ghost a puzzled look from Spears, { _"Oh? What makes him so different then?"_ }

That's when Gaia hesitated, their parts pressing against their core as silence permeated between the two.

"Hey Gaia! Is this the place?"

Perking up at the interruption, Gaia found themselves more than gladly gliding over to the pilot's seat, peering through the cockpit window before turning to the female Exo and nodding once, "Yes, this is it."

"Then let's get this party started!" Carina whooped as she pushed her seat back, a sign for Spears to glide over to his Guardian in preparation for transmat.

However, before Gaia readied themselves to materialize out of the ship, static filled the back of their mind before it clicked, a sign that a frequency made it through their coms.

{ _"We will continue this later."}_

Turning their yellow optic towards Spears, Gaia watched the violet and green Ghost narrow his single optic in response; a sign that he was not going to let it slide. As such, this was left in the back of the gold and crimson Ghost's mind as the three of them materialized out of the female Titan's ship.

Xxxxx

"This way," Gaia announced as Akiva reluctantly took the lead, mainly for the fact that his twin, quote on quote - "You are the one who can take the most hits. Plus, you have your bubble." Although Akiva admits, he does love being in the front lines, these 'Taken' are making the Defender nervous, causing the human Titan to shift nervously back and forth on the heel of his feet.

"Calm yourself," Akiva could hear Lex whisper in his helmet, startling the Titan to the point where he jumped.

"Is everything alright, Akiva?"

Turning his gaze over his shoulder, Akiva smiled sheepishly behind his visor before he responded, "Yeah, just a bit nervous I'm afraid."

This earned him a snort from his twin, "Well, if you want an honest answer, I am slightly nervous myself. Nearly hitting seventy and I have not once ever encountered anything like these 'Taken'."

"That just makes it more fun," Carina beamed, "new enemies, more challenges."

"Only if we were as confident as you, Carina."

This caused everyone present to laugh at Angel's words, releasing the tension in the air as Gaia came to a pause near some doors, the diamond shaped door seemingly flickering menacingly as the gold and crimson Ghost glided towards a nearby panel, beaming their light into the controls as they stated, "Before I went to gain some help, the Taken had managed to gain entrance through this door. How we couldn't figure out but we were able to manage to contain the Taken in this very hall before they managed to break through Sun's and Rasputin's defenses."

"So, you're saying that we might rush headlong into a mass of Taken?" Akiva asked, only to heave out a sigh as Gaia let out a single nod, "Figures, that's just our luck."

"Less whining and more fighting," Gaia stated as they glided back, just in time for the doors to split down the middle and lift upwards, a sign for the gold and crimson Ghost to turn and face the four group of Guardians, "Just be glad that at least your Ghosts have a body to stay safe in at least."

Listening to the Ghost's words, it slowly dawned upon the four on what Gaia had meant.

"…Shit," Akiva rubbed the back of his neck before he refocused his gaze onto the crimson and gold Ghost, "Want to stay in one of our armor?" When the Titan received a blank look from the Ghost, Akiva immediately stuttered out, "O-only if you want to of course! Not going to force you if you're-"

"Fine."

Almost immediately silence loomed over the four Guardians, their loss of words immediately gaining the gold and crimson Ghost's ire, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing, just uhm," Akiva hesitated, "So who do you want to stay with?"

Pausing once more, the group waited as Gaia glided around the four Guardians, only to come to a pause near the human Hunter, "Do you mind?"

Staring wide eyed behind his visor at the Ghost, Angel nodded once before Gaia materialized into familiar wisps of data, and almost immediately, the Hunter could already feel a second presence with his helmet.

"Angel, I have to say somethin' before we go in there," Hope's voice immediately piped in, "This is weird as fuck sharin' a helmet with another Ghost."

"You don't think it's weird for me as well?"

"I'm just sayin'."

"Okay, guys, please," Angel pleaded, "Just, keep quiet for a moment so that I can get use to the fact that there are now two voices inside my head instead of one." When the human Hunter gained silence as an answer, he heaved out a sigh of relief, "Alright, thanks."

This earned the Hunter a snort from Carina, "How does it feel to have two Ghosts instead of one inside your head?"

"Weird," Angel muttered out, earning a laugh from the Exo Titan before Akiva stepped in, "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

With his words spoken, Akiva dashed into the entrance, hearing the familiar footsteps of his team follow suit. However, no sooner did the Titan turn a corner when black and white met his vision, causing Akiva to come to a skidding halt. Before he can recompose himself the enemy in front then lifted its shield and then a familiar ringing sound of a charge echoed into Akiva's ears.

"Back up!" He shouted, hearing the footsteps behind him come to a skidding halt, "Back up! Back-"

An impact against the Titan's chest cause Akiva to pause mid-sentence before he felt his feet fly out underneath him. Feeling the familiar sensation of free fall, Akiva was then brought back into reality as he felt himself slam into the wall behind him, causing the Titan to let out a groan as he collapsed to the floor.

"Oooh, ouch, that's going to leave a mark." Hearing Carina comment, Akiva lifted his head in time for the female Exo to skid around the corner before leaping, the familiar arc energy forming around her fists before she slammed them into the ground, quickly clearing out the area before them.

"Advice number 245," Akiva grunted as he felt a hand reach under one of his arms and gave him enough leverage to push himself onto his feet, "When facing an unknown enemy, watch the corners."

Earning a chuckle from his team, Akiva then dashed past Carina, taking the lead once more before his golden eyes once again caught the familiar black and white forms of the Taken. Holding out a hand, the human Guardian felt the familiar grenade form in his grip before he yelled out, "Grenade!"

He then tossed the said explosive through the air and towards one of the Taken, a small glowing Psion, and watched the familiar void light streak through the air before attaching itself towards its unfortunate target. Not long after, a familiar ringing sound echoed through the air followed by a loud explosion, which was soon followed after another and finish off any that were fortunate enough to survive the first round.

"Gaia says to clear a path and move!" Angel shouted as gunfire sped past Akiva, followed by grenades of void and arc light, "They say that these 'Taken' will keep coming! It won't matter how many we take out!"

"Well he should have said something earlier!" Carina's snarls echoed through the hall before it was once again drown out by gunfire, a sign for Akiva to heave out his auto rifle and follow suit.

Watching the Taken let out screams of agony before swirling into a vortex of mass and then disappearing from sight, Akiva couldn't help but let a shiver run down the length of his spine as he and his team dashed past Taken fortunate to avoid the Guardians fire and grenades; those who were unfortunate enough to be in their way were quickly taken out by gunfire or Akiva's void light filled fists. As the group made it towards the other end of the hall, a familiar black and white form came into view, the twitching form causing Akiva's breath to halt.

"Knight!" Aleeza screamed out, just as the Taken Knight's gun flared to life, the mists of darkness forming into the cannon sized weapon before firing. Seeing the swirl of black and white coming for them, Akiva dashed forward, building up momentum before skidding down onto his knees, feeling his helmet vibrate against the energy of the blast from the Knight's gun as it sped past his face. Quickly sheathing his auto rifle and unsheathing his shot gun from his back, Akiva waited until his momentum slowed down before leaping forward, holding his gun out before he felt the barrel press against the chest of the Taken Knight. Before the Knight could retaliate, the human Titan then pulled the trigger, the familiar popping sound of the shot gun ringing in Akiva's ears. Not long after, the familiar scream of the Knight's death cry echoed through the air before the body in front of Akiva collapsed into a mass of black and white, leaving the exit of the hall open for the four Guardians.

"Move! Move!" Akiva shouted as he dashed forward, hearing the footsteps of his team following him once more.

As soon as the four of them pass through the exit, the door to the hall quickly closed, the familiar sound of metal clicking together a sign for the four Guardians to let out sighs of relief.

"Fuck, is that what the Taken are capable of-"

A loud bang cut Akiva off, and the Titan stumbled forward as he felt a force hit him in the back. Confused and dazed, Akiva lifted his gaze towards his team, hearing their muffled shouts of surprise and screams as they all pointed their weapons at something behind him. Not long after, the familiar form of Gaia materialized into view in front of the three Guardians however, their words were incoherent to Akiva, the Titan finally glancing downwards. A hole of splintered metal and flesh could be seen through his chest, and Akiva finally could feel blood flood his mouth, feeling the liquid dribble down the side of his lips. Hearing Lex calling out his name, Akiva slowly turned only to gaze into furious yellow optics.

"Human," The orange Exo snarled out before Akiva watched them pull out their shot gun and fire once more at the wounded Titan.

* * *

 _Yes, Sun-7 despises humans that much. True they didn't show much hostility towards Angel on their first visit to Rasputin's Bunker but that was because both Pluto and Ianos was present. Without those two however, Sun is showing more of their 'violent' side..so...yeah lol_

 _I'll try and get the next chapter up on time next week. I should have no excuse not to write it up this week since I asked for the entire week off lol_


	31. On Our Way

_**Tormented**_

 _ **On Our Way**_

 _Eeeeh I really can't think up of any good titles lol. I was on a block for the title of this chapter before I was like 'fuck it, I have to publish this. I'm actually on time for once, can't be late because I couldn't think up of a chapter title' so here it is lol. I'm actually surprised that I made the deadline despite the fact Rise of Iron came out, which I have to say, I am having so much fun on it! Loving the lore! Loving the strikes! And the raid (If my team would actually cooperate for once!), only downside is if I can't get past 350 light, been having a lot of trouble with that lol.  
_

 _Thanks to The Ashen Titan and Rainbowoverload for the review!_

 _The Ashen Titan \- Well ...*cough* you'll see! :D_

 _Rainbowoverload_ _\- Aww thank you very much! ^_^. Yeah, some of the fanfictions I have read haven't updated in a 'long' time too (like in three to four years) and as such, I don't want people reading my story to go through that ^^;;;. So I try to update regularly as I can which seems to be working so far. Anyway, Rise of Iron will take place in the sequel of this story, so it might be some time before we actually hit it._

* * *

She should have fired first when she had the chance, when she saw the familiar form of the orange Exo step out of the shadows and fired their shotgun into Akiva's back. But Gaia had almost immediately placed themselves between the Fireteam and Sun, yelling exasperatedly for them to stop when they had trained their weapons on the Ex-Guardian. At first, Carina complied however she immediately shoved the gold and crimson form of the Ghost when Sun had shifted their aim with their shotgun and fired it at Akiva's head. The aftermath of the shot was immediately followed with pieces of metal, flesh and bone blowing backwards along with shotgun pellets, the remnants splattering against the female Exo's visor. Stunned, Carina can only watch as Akiva's body collapsed onto his knees and then to the side, leaving a bloody puddle of what was left over his head. A scream of rage soon followed the human Titan's death, causing Carina to snap out of her reverie and gawk as Aleeza charged the Ex-Guardian, her hands glowing with Void light as she roared. Seeing her lover in a rage, the shock left Carina's system and was soon replaced with hate, her optics and arms glowing menacingly with arc light. Then, before she could stop herself she followed the charge towards Sun.

"Aleeza! Carina! Stop!"

The words of the human Hunter echoing in her auditory sensors, Carina ignored his words of warning as both she and Aleeza closed in on the orange Exo. However before the two of them could even swing their fists towards the Ex-Guardian, Carina's optics were immediately blinded by a flash of red and white, a 'clang' echoing through the air followed a force hitting her in the chest. Immediately, she screamed as she felt heat scorch her metallic plates, feeling them melt against her mesh of wires and networks before her body went numb, a sign that Spears had deactivated her neural sensors; an attempt to make death less painful.

Feeling herself go light, Carina only understood what had occurred when her vision finally clear, only for her to start cursing sporadically when she found herself in the familiar perspective of her Ghost, the violet and green shell easily clear in her sight. Not far from the Exo Titan floated the familiar ruby and white shell of Lena, the Ghost already prepping the light from Aleeza's charred remains for resurrection.

"Wait! Let us explain!"

Recognizing the frantic voice of Angel, Carina shifted her perspective towards the Hunter, only to pause as she watched Angel taking steps back away from Sun, the latter of which was closing the distance between the two of them as solar fire crackled around them. Although she couldn't see his face thanks to his visor, Carina could easily tell from the way Angel was frantically reaching down to his belt towards his knife and the way his chest heaved were telltale signs of his panic, his fear as he pressed his back against the closed exit.

" _Spears! Resurrect me! Now!"_

 _{"I can't!"}_

" _What do you mean 'I can't'!?"_

 _{"The presence of the Taken here made the Darkness more prominent! I can't resurrect you without aid!"}_

" _Fuck! Angel!"_

Watching the Hunter press himself against the exit, Carina finally saw Angel pull out his knife and ducked as Sun swung their solar fist towards the Hunter Guardian, hearing them curse as their punch instead made contact with the door. Leaving a molten in the metal, Carina watched as Sun turned towards Angel, the latter of which still held out his knife and positioned himself into a stance that the female Titan recognizes as one readying oneself for another dodge.

"Look! I don't want to fight!" Angel shouted, "Let us talk! We can-"

The Hunter barely rolled backwards in time to dodge another swing of a solar fist, Carina hearing the snarl of frustration emitting from the Ex-Guardian as Angel tossed his knife towards Sun as he landed on his feet, an action that the female Exo recognizes as one of panic. However, much to her frustration, Sun easily smacked the knife away, letting the weapon spin and impact itself into the wall instead as the Ex-Guardian let out a low growl.

"That's what 'every' Guardian that has entered here say until I watch them try and sneak their Ghost into a console," Sun hissed out, their metallic features contorted in fury, "I am 'not' going to let another Guardian make a fool out of me." Then without another word, they swung their hand back, a molten hammer appearing in their grasp.

Seeing Angel's body go rigid from shock and surprise, Carina can only let out a silent cry as Sun tossed the hammer towards the Hunter. The Exo Titan easily saw Angel trying to dodge backwards once more, his feet scrambling underneath him as he attempted to place more distance between him and the thrown hammer. However, to everyone's shock, the hammer shifted position, seemingly bounding through the air right as the Hunter landed on his feet. An agonized cry soon followed after the molten hammer made contact with Angel, the human Guardian thrown back from the impact soon after the explosion. However, to Carina's surprise, as Angel landed on his back, he was still alive, proven from the way he writhed on the metal floor in anguish. But, when Carina shifted her perspective once more, she couldn't help but let out a flinch. Somehow, Angel had enough time to turn himself to the side, letting the right side of his body take the full brunt of the hit. He did not escape the hit unscathed however. The right side of his visor burned through from the impact revealing his damaged face and what remained of his arm was nothing but a charcoaled stump. His side was completely exposed revealing the burnt flesh underneath and his leg was burned although still intact, from the way he kicked and squirmed around, as if a vain attempt to lessen the pain.

"Hope!" Carina heard Angel cry out as he reached out his good hand, failing around as if expecting his fingers to touch the familiar shape of her shell, "Hope! Help! Help me!" His sobs and cries went unheeded as he continued to lie on the floor in agony, failing to hear the slow approaching footsteps making their way towards the wounded Hunter. Watching the solar fire fade from their body, Carina watched as Sun held out their shot gun once more as they came to a pause near Angel. Holding in her breath, Carina expected Sun to immediately end Angel's life, expecting the Ex-Guardian to hold the shot gun towards the Hunter's head and just end it all. However, to her surprise, Sun instead holstered his weapon and grabbed Angel by the front of his armor, immediately causing Angel to pause in his cries for help and instead let out small whimpers as the Exo pulled him up onto his feet.

"Any last words, 'human'?" Carina heard Sun hiss out, watching Angel lean his head back and flinch from the Exo's words, "No? Good."

" _NO!"_

Carina watched as Sun held Angel up with one hand and held the shotgun in the other, pressing the barrel of the gun onto the Hunter's exposed face and seeing their finger slowly press against the trigger. However, before Sun could completely press the trigger, the female Exo found herself gawking as the familiar shape of the white and red Ghost materialized above Angel's shoulder and fired herself towards the Ex-Guardians face. From the wide eyed look and the way they lost their grasp so easily on the front of Angel's armor, Carina could tell that Sun wasn't expecting Hope to ram herself into their face. Hearing Sun let out a flurry of curses, Carina turned her attention back towards Hope only to see the Ghost's shell shaking in fury.

"Get away from him you sick psycho!" Hope yelled out, causing her to earn a glare from the Ex-Guardian, "At least hear out what all of us have to say!"

"Now why would I believe-"

That's when Carina finally saw the familiar gold and crimson form of Gaia gliding over and placing themselves between the Exo and the injured Hunter, "Sun! Stop it! They're Pluto's Fireteam!"

Almost immediately, Carina saw the look of hate replace with a look of bewilderment on Sun's metallic features, "What?"

"Yeah sure the Awoken and that Human are new," Gaia pinpointed out, "But you should recognize Carina and this human, right?"

Sun's yellow optics blinked, Carina watching their gaze squint, as if searching in the back of their mind. Not long, a look of shock flashed onto the Ex-Guardian's face, "You brought 'organics' here, Gaia? I thought I told you to grab Pluto not 'meatbags'."

"What? Does Carina not count?" Gaia grumbled out, their yellow optic giving their Guardian a blank stare, "I would have brought Pluto myself but he's busy rebuilding the clan from what I heard. So I opted for his Fireteam instead."

"Re…Rebuilding?" Carina saw Sun's yellow optics soften at the single bob that Gaia responded with, only for it to harden once they shifted their gaze back towards Hope. Then without saying a word, they nodded their head towards Angel; a sign that she can properly heal her Guardian. Noticing Hope responding with a glare of her own, Carina watched the white and crimson Ghost glide over to the shivering Hunter and letting her optic beam light onto his wound. Observing Hope tend to Angel, Carina jumped as Sun's form suddenly popped into her perspective, standing just right in front of Spears. It was then the female Exo saw Gaia glide over and beam their own light into her Ghost and she felt her light strengthen.

{ _"Get ready."}_ Spears pointed out, giving Carina just enough time to feel her limbs once more before landing onto her feet, straightening herself out before rolling her shoulders in order to get use to the sensation of having a physical body once more. Lifting her gaze upwards, Carina locked onto Sun's yellow optics and immediately gave them a glare. Seeing their optics go wide and blinking once, the female Exo took it as a sign to slowly make her way towards Aleeza – the closest of her two Fireteam members – before she suddenly turned and swung her fist at the Ex-Guardian. The familiar sensation of metal against metal rang satisfactory in Carina's auditory receptors before she recomposed herself, the look of fury still in her violet optics as she watched Sun stumble back from the hit, lifting a hand to their cheek where they had taken the blow, "That's for killing my team! Asshole!"

{ _"Carina!"_ }

Ignoring the exasperated look from Spears, Carina gave Sun another glare before taking note of the look of shock on the orange Exo's face before turning around and motioning for Spears to Lena, the ruby and white Ghost taking in her companions light gratefully to bring Aleeza back. No sooner had the female Warlock landed on her feet when Aleeza immediately dashed towards her twin, holding out Lena towards Lex to repeat the process. Momentarily watching Aleeza dote on her brother as soon as he was brought back, Carina turned her attention towards Angel, the latter of which leaned on his good arm for Hope to have better leverage on his right side; his helmet all repaired and cleaned as the white and red Ghost worked.

"You alright?"

Instead of gaining an immediate response, Carina saw Angel's gaze shift onto her, his eyes impossible to read behind his darken visor. Worried, the Exo Titan reached over and patted the Hunter on his good shoulder and almost immediately, Carina could sense the unease dissipate, his shoulders slumping in relief as he nodded once.

"Give him a moment," Hope stated, catching Carina's attention, "The Darkness here is quite prominent. I had to take some of his own light to heal him properly, he's too exhausted to speak right now." The Ghost must have sensed the concern ooze off from the female Exo as she quickly added, "Don't worry though, as soon as he is patched up, a few minutes of rest will do him good."

Carina's violet optics soften, "Alright that's good." She then reached over and tapped Hope's shell gentle; an equivalent to a tap on the shoulder, "Going to check up on the others, take good care of him."

That's when the female Exo heard Hope let out a snort, "When do I 'not' take care of him?"

Giving the Ghost a smile behind her helmet, Carina turned around only to come to a pause as her violet optics locked onto yellow; Sun's metallic features scrunched together in both shock and bewilderment.

"You…are friends? With 'organics?"

Easily sensing the disgust in the older Exo's question, Carina in turn narrowed her optics at the Ex-Guardian, "Yes? And is that a problem?" She could see Sun's optics glare in return; this brought up her ire, "Look, I understand your hate for 'meatbags' but not all of them are the same so here is what I have to say." Leaning forward, Carina brought her face close as she can to Sun's and growled out, "If you 'ever' harm my team again, I 'will' end you."

The female Exo was not surprised at the scoff she received; she can easily tell the orange Exo saw through her threat. Nonetheless, Sun hefted their shotgun back into their hands before stating, "When your team is all healed and rested up, we're moving out. Rasputin can only hold the Taken back so long."

This time, it was Carina's turn to scoff, "Well, next time when back up comes by to help, don't kill them."

Receiving another glare from the orange Exo, Carina watched the Ex-Guardian stalk his way past the rest of Fireteam Redacted before making their way towards the other end of the hall. It was then Gaia glided past Carina only to pause and fixate their yellow optic onto the female Exo. As the two stared at each other, blinking, Gaia turned their focus over Carina's shoulder, locking their optic onto whatever was in their sight. Puzzled, the Exo Titan glanced over only to come to a pause at the familiar violet and green shell of her Ghost, Spears' violet optic blinking once at the gold and crimson Ghost. It was only when Carina fixated her gaze back onto Gaia when the Ghost finally tore their gaze away from the pair and followed after their Guardian.

"What in the Darkness was that for?" Carina asked, causing Spears to turn and blink once at his Guardian, _{"You did not notice?"}_

This earned a Ghost a bewildered look from the female Exo, "What?"

An exasperated sigh soon followed Carina's remark, { _"Did you not notice their light?"}_

When Carina gave him another puzzled look, the Ghost shook their core side to side, { _"You should really pay more attention on the teachings of others."_ }

"What? I can only listen to something for so long before my mind drifts off, you know?" This earned the female Exo another blank look from Spears, _{"Anyway, did you not notice the indent where you punched, Sun?"}_

Hearing her Ghost's words, a smile spread onto Carina's silver features, "Of course I did! That bastard deserves it after killing my friends like that."

{ _"Well, did you notice anything 'peculiar'?"}_

Carina blinked, "Uhm, no?"

Another sigh from the violet and green Ghost, _{"You saw it right? When Sun walked away?"_ }

"You mean the indent?" Carina asked, earning a nod from Spears, "Yeah, it's not hard to notice-" That's when she paused, her violet optics going wide as the realization dawned upon her shoulders, "Wait a minute, why didn't it heal over already? Isn't Gaia able to heal them?"

{ _"Normally yes. But then I noticed Gaia attempting to send their light into Sun but they just brushed it off, muttering something under their breath."}_

"What did Sun say?"

Carina gave the Ghost a disappointed pout as he shrugged, { _"Don't know, but decided to give their light a look."}_

"And..?"

{ _"Their light is slowly dissipating, tainted by the Darkness."}_ Spears' words caused the female Exo to come to a pause, { _"They are just like Ianos, growing weaker as time pass. So in other words…"}_

"They're dying," Carina finished, earning a single bob from the violet and green Ghost, "But then why aren't they wearing a gear like Ianos? Won't they be in a lot of pain like him?"

{ _"It's just a theory but you know how I can turn off your neural sensors when I sense your nerves go off the charts?"}_ Spears waited until he gained a nod to continue, _{"I believe Gaia had done the same for Sun except it is permanent, ensuring that Sun feels no pain during their stay here."}_

"Then why not go to the Tower for a cure or at least treatment?" Carina asked, "I mean I understand their hate towards organics but, their hate shouldn't be deep to the point where they would rather die than get treatment from one."

Carina heard her Ghost hum lightly to himself, his fins twirling several times before he responded, { _"I believe that maybe they are out of the loop."}_

"…What?"

 _{"You remember how Sun had to be informed about the Galaxy Clan's demise despite the fact that they pretty much died out long ago?"}_ Carina gave her Ghost a single nod, _{"Perhaps it is the same with the treatment for contamination of Light. Perhaps they do not know that there is a way to slow it down, at least, long enough to give Matt time to find a cure."}_

Contemplating on the words of her Ghost, Carina turned her violet optics towards the other end of the hall, her gaze locking onto the familiar orange Exo. She watched as Gaia twirled their parts several times as the two of them spoke, Sun's mild gestures with their hands revealing that they were brushing off the gold and crimson Ghost's words as they leaned against the doorway. Occasionally she would see Sun rub the area where she had punched them, earning more exasperated gestures from the Ex-Guardian's Ghost before once again waving their hand in an attempt to shrug it off. Watching this, Carina heaved out a sigh before rubbing the back of her neck. Even though she hates them for attacking her team, Carina can't help but feel a pang for empathy for the Exo and no Guardian deserves to be consumed by the Darkness. Even if they were a psycho.

"Carina?"

Hearing her name ringing in her auditory sensors, Carina turned, only for her violet optics to lock onto the darken visor of Aleeza, the female Warlock tilting her head slightly before she gestured towards Angel and Akiva, the latter of which gave Angel a comforting pat on the shoulder before helping the Hunter onto their feet; all healed and ready to go, "We're all ready to head out."

Turning her gaze back and forth between her team and Sun, Carina let her gaze linger on the female Awoken before she nodded once, "Yeah, let's go." She then removed her shotgun from her back before cocking it once, "Let's keep our guard up around that psycho just in case."

Xxxxx

"Clan Leader Pluto?"

Turning their blind gaze towards the source of the voice, Pluto couldn't help but let a smile graze his dark features behind his visor, "How many times do I have to say it, Met? Just call me Pluto, no need for formalities."

Almost immediately, Pluto can sense Met – full name Meteorite-33 – shift nervously on her feet, the Exo Titan soon stuttering out, "A-are you sure this is a good idea? T-to try and stalk a group of Fallen twice our size?" Listening to her words, Pluto let another smile graze his lips before he reached out and patted the Exo on the shoulder, "Don't worry, if anything goes awry, Orion and I are here to keep an eye on things." Feeling her shoulder shift upright and her energy oozing off confidence, Pluto gave the female Exo another pat on the shoulder before nodding his head towards the others, a sign for the young Guardian to join the rest of her group. Sensing Met give the blind Exo a salute, Pluto waited until Nix's scans showed she was safely amongst her peers before returning his attention towards the small group of Fallen that they had been tracking.

Met or Meteorite-33 was amongst a small group of Guardians to make it to the Tower from the Cosmodrome, obviously confused and awed at the sights before her. With gray plating and green lights hidden by violet and black armor, many would have taken her tall posture (even taller than Pluto) as an intimidating gesture however, if one gets to know the young Titan, she lacks self-confidence and is actually quite timid to the point where she doesn't even want to aim her gun at a dreg. Although Pluto wouldn't normally mind of her pacifism in another setting, the time that they live now prevents that. Slowly, he is helping her at least defend herself with her fists with the aid of Orion but the older Exo couldn't help but turn frustrated at her lack of progression on her aim. He heaved out a sigh at the thought. There is still a lot of work to be done.

"Any openings yet?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Pluto waited until Nix's scans revealed the familiar armored form of Orion-56 or simply Orion, the green and brown clad Guardian slowly knelt down next to his Clan Leader as he approached. Although the second oldest out of the newly reformed Clan, Orion is still hardly a year old and in comparison to Pluto, still a newborn. Although this doesn't stop the fact that the young Guardian progress quickly as a Striker, his arc light streaming through bodies of enemy countless times, more than Pluto can keep track. Although this doesn't stop his brash attitude and his habit of rushing headlong into battle before thinking.

"Not 'quite' yet." Pluto stated, easily sensing the pout he received from the younger Guardian, "maybe in another hour."

"An hour?" Once again, Pluto can hear the whine in Orion's tone, "Can't we just slam them? Met, Cosmos, and I gathered enough light long ago. We can take them out easily."

Waving a hand to signal to Nix through his scans to keep an eye on the group of Fallen, Pluto turned and gave the younger Exo the best blank look he could muster through his blind fold, "And risk letting a survivor loose and informing the rest of their House on what happened?" The Exo Hunter shook his head, "No, lay low and wait until my signal, understand?"

Although he heard the young Titan grumble under his breath, Pluto sense the nod the Exo Guardian gave him before he heard Orion push himself onto his feet and walk away, most likely to join the others.

"So impatient," Pluto heard Nix let out a sigh, almost melancholic, "reminds me of so much of you when you were younger."

"Weren't we all like that?" Pluto let out a snort as Nix let out a small chuckle, "So innocent back then." Another sigh from the Ghost, "Do you think we can protect them for long?"

Silence permeated between Guardian and Ghost, both letting the silence permeate through the air as Nix continue to let their scans out in waves, letting Pluto keep a close eye on the scavenging Fallen nearby.

"I want them to know what it's like to be 'innocent'," Pluto finally responded, earning a blink from his Ghost, "to have at least a few years of what's it like to be 'young' before they understand the true nature of the world we currently live in now."

This earned the blind Exo a look from Nix, the Ghost blinking his dead optic once before bobbing his core up and down. He remembers the very first day when he had brought Pluto back, back in the rusted junkyard of the Cosmodrome, and back before the Guardians were called the Risen. There was no time to explain everything to the then young Exo, having to hurriedly explain that they had to 'run' before Pluto could even gain a proper conversation. It took 'days' to find proper cover and even then, it only gave Nix enough time to explain Pluto's resurrection and his duties before they had to move before the Fallen found them. Remembering the days where they wandered and ran 'alone', with only each other to soothe each other's worries and fears, Nix completely understood Pluto's reasoning on ensuring the newborns remained 'innocent', at least for a little while.

"Here he comes," Pluto muttered, snapping Nix out of his reverie before snapping out their scans for the newcomer. No sooner had the Ghost release their scans when the familiar robed form of a Warlock came into his black and white vision, the latter of which snuck around the side and up towards the hill that Pluto and his group had taken refuge. Keeping his head down, Pluto waited until the Warlock came up and knelt down next to him before stating, "Anything, Heksis?"

Pluto then felt the Warlock's eyes turn on him, tilting his head slightly before stating, "No, nothing of importance." Hearing the familiar rumble at the end of his sentence, Pluto nodded his head towards Nix, the latter of which sent scans to the blind Exo to reveal the others still at a distance. Good, they were too far to tune in on their conversation.

"Thanks, Heksis," Pluto reached over and patted the Warlock on the shoulder, receiving a puzzled look from the Guardian, "What? Never had positive reinforcement?"

"If you call heading to the Reef and someone trying to make you their 'pet' rein-"

"No, definitely not." Pluto interrupted, earning a low rumble from the Warlock, one he recognizes as a Fallen equivalent of bewilderment, "Just thanks for your help. You can report back to Ikora everything is alright now." He then sensed the Warlock heave himself onto his feet, "Oh and one more thing." Pluto sense Heksis pause, "Olkar has been a bit 'short' lately; try and spend some time with him alright?" When the Exo Hunter sense the hesitation from the Warlock, Pluto then added, "Look, I understand you're trying to keep it a 'secret', especially since you're a Guardian, but I know the two of you want to speak to each other, 'person' to 'person' if you know what I mean?"

"...Yes."

"Be nice to each other," Pluto warned before sensing the air around him shift and change, a sign that Heksis had already transmat himself out of the area, "…still can't believe what Ikora told me was true."

"That Heksis is-"

"Yeah." Pluto then nodded his head towards Nix, "Send word to the others, it's time for an ambush."

Hearing the familiar whirr of his Ghost's fins twirling in excitement, Pluto turned and gave Nix a smile behind his visor, "And make it quick, I bet they're itching for some action as well, especially since they must have gathered enough Light by now."

Sensing Nix nod once, Pluto heard the Ghost glide over to the newborns, leaving the Exo Hunter alone with his anticipation for a bit of fun. In other words, utter chaos.

Xxxx

{ _"You know, it would make things less tense if you would stop glaring at Sun."_ }

Instead of acknowledging her Ghost's words, Carina couldn't help but narrow her violet optics at the orange Exo, the latter of which opted to keep their gaze forward and lead the team down the hall. Normally Carina would have just let the Exo mind their own business, but after witness Sun glare at the rest of her team every time they try to walk alongside them, the female Exo only thought it fitting that she returns the favor. As such, here she was, keeping pace with the taller Exo as she planted her glare on the Ex-Guardian, much to Spears' chagrin.

"If I punch them in the face, will that make things less tense?" Carina whispered.

{ _"Carina…"}_

"I was kidding...mostly."

The female Exo heard her Ghost sigh audibly in her helmet, { _"Traveler, help me."_ }

Smirking at her Ghost's misfortune, Carina continued to keep pace with Sun up until they came to a pause at another door. Without saying anything, Sun leaned over to the panel next to the entrance and placing their hand over the scanner. The familiar beeps and clicks soon followed the action before the door slid open, a sign for Sun to slide their hand out of the scanner and enter the room. Watching Sun safely enter the next hall, Carina attempted to take a step forward. However, before she could even take a step into the hall, the female Exo found an auto rifle in her face and out of instinct, Carina held out her shotgun and fired. Instead of the familiar sound of pellets penetrating flesh and bone, the sound of metal screeching and bending echoed through her auditory sensors before hearing the sound of metallic feet clank against the floors and followed by a resounding crash. The sound of Sun cursing followed after.

"Rasputin, I thought I told you to turn off the defenses at this sector."

Blinking once, Carina glanced downwards as Sun knelt down to whatever the female Exo shot, only for her violet optics to recognize the flat topped head and circular eye of a frame, the latter of which let out one last flinch before the light in its eye died. This caused Sun to let out another curse before being followed by the shake of the head.

"You had a good run, Nartic 55-30. Now, you do not have to worry about your duties."

Standing up with one last final shake of the head, Sun turned their yellow optics towards Carina and gave her a blank stare, "That was the last frame protecting this area and the others that Rasputin and I were making aren't finished."

The older Exo's words caught Carina off guard, the young Titan blinking several times behind her helmet, "Uh, I'm sorry?"

Another sigh before Carina watched Sun pushed themselves onto their feet as they pinched the bridge of their nose, "Please do be more careful, many of these defenses are Golden Age tech and you can't exactly find those lying around anymore."

In turn, the Exo Guardian gave Sun a blank look, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll just wait until something 'kills' me before I shoot it. Sounds fair?"

The female Exo saw Sun snap their attention towards her and gave her a glare, causing Carina to smirk behind their helmet as the Ex-Guardian muttered out, "Come, we're almost to our destination."

"And, if I may ask, what is our destination?"

A glare towards Angel caused the Hunter to pause, much to Carina's frustration as Sun responded, "To Rasputin's core. From what he and I could make out during our scans, the Taken are making their way there."

"And the reason?" Akiva asked.

A sigh was the human Titan's response, "That is where all the information that Rasputin carries is stored. Plus, that is also where his mind is located." Throwing their shotgun onto their shoulder, Sun continued, "So imagine this, if they make it to the core and somehow corrupt it…"

"Then they have a power of the warmind on their side," Aleeza finished, earning a clap from the orange Exo, "Bingo! Give the human a prize! That's exactly what is going to happen if they make it to Rasputin's core." They then placed their hands on their hips, "So if you're done asking questions, let's get a move on. We wasted enough time as it is standing around."

Carina gave Sun a blank stare, "You're the one who stopped in the first place."

Instead of an immediate response, Sun turned their attention towards Carina, letting the silence permeate through the hall before the orange Exo simply turned and walked away.

"Hey!" Carina shouted before letting out a low growl as the Ex-Guardian made their way down the hall, "God damn it! I never met another Exo as annoying as him!"

"Wait, Sun is a man?" Akiva asked, "I thought he was a woman."

"Same here," Angel nodded his head in agreement, "I doubt there is a male Exo out there with that high pitched of a voice."

"But they would have 'these' if they were a woman," Aleeza gestured her hands towards her breasts, "then again, they do have some mighty good looking hips."

"Male or female! Don't care!" The female Exo exclaimed, "All I know is that they are an asshole!"

"You mean a psycho," Hope materialized over her Guardians shoulder, giving the orange Exo a glare, "I mean, look at the way they shot at you guys without hesitation." She then let out a scoff, "They didn't even show a sign of remorse when they realize their mistake."

"Well you have to admit, we were trespassing," Lex materialized over Akiva's shoulder, "and considering how long both Sun and Rasputin have been together, alone, in this complex, it's understandable."

It was Lena's turn to appear above her Guardian's shoulder, "But to that extreme? Darkness, even though I would get annoyed if anyone trespasses in my area doesn't mean we kill them."

"Sun may have his reasons," Akiva announced, "But for now, let's focus on ensuring the Taken doesn't 'take' Rasputin, agreed?" With everyone nodding once and all their Ghosts materializing back into their respective Guardians, the team dashed after the orange Exo. However, no sooner had they caught up with the Ex-Guardian when a booming voice resounded through the hall, the foreign tongue escaping the four Guardians' ears as Sun started cursing once more.

"What's wrong?"

Sun turned to face Angel, "Rasputin just told me that Taken have broken through his defenses at another part of the bunker. This one, leading to his power source."

"Oooh lordy," Angel stated, earning a snort from the Ex-Guardian before they continued, "I need you three organics to head to the power source." They then turned towards the gold and crimson Ghost, the latter of which blinked as Sun ordered, "Gaia, guide them towards the power cell and once in the clear, return back to me."

"Wait, wait, wait," Akiva's words earned him a glare from the orange Exo, "You trust the three of us to go ahead and protect Rasputin's power core?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Sun muttered out, "if I had my way, I would have asked my clan to help out but since they are dead and I only have you 'meatbags' to depend on, I have no other choice in the matter." They then nodded their head towards Gaia, the latter of which moved down the hall and took a left, "Now hurry up, before you lose Gaia in this place."

Sensing the unease from her teammates, Carina watched as Aleeza walked over and bumped their heads together; an equivalent of a kiss for the two of them before she and the others ran after Gaia.

"You two are lovers?"

Carina turned to face Sun, "Yes, something the matter with that?"

The female Exo noticed the way Sun scrunched their features together, their yellow optics narrowing at the younger Guardian, "I understand you less and less the longer you are here." Then without another word, the orange Exo dashed down the hallway with Carina following not too far behind them.

Xxxxx

"Mission accomplished."

Perking his head towards the voice, Pluto nodded his head towards Polaris, the blue and green clad Titan returning the nod with his own before walking over the others, leaving behind a trail of void light and twist body parts.

Pluto and the newborns easily ambushed the scavenging Fallen, taking out the head of the pack, a Captain, easily thanks to Scorpio's golden gun; a single solar light headshot plenty enough to take the Captain out. The rest were quickly cleaned out by the Newborns' light, with the exception of Nova and Polaris, the latter two having popped out their bubbles to ensure the safety of the team. Now, with the Fallen all dead and not one having escape, it was a matter of sifting through their bodies and finding anything that be scavenged.

"What do you mean this is useless? It's an ether tube."

Pluto heard the familiar rumble echo through the area, "Yes. But broken. Not worth anything."

"Bah!"

Turning his attention towards the two voices, Pluto couldn't help but let out a sheepish smile behind his visor. The two bickering were Orion and Olkar, the latter of which had decided to join Pluto on his venture on rebuilding the clan; mainly for the reason that Trikxas had now finally found her Guardian. Refusing to let the Ghost out of his sight, both Orion and Olkar had formed a rivalry for the affection of the Ghost, the latter of which was nearby scanning the remains of a Shank, completely oblivious to her two comrades squabbling. To Pluto, it was amusing, especially when it comes to the presence of the other newborns, all of which watch in awe as the Exo Titan and the Eliksni argue amongst themselves. Chuckling to himself as the two continue to argue over the value of their items, Pluto felt something bump into his helmet, snapping the Hunter out of reverie.

"I checked your frequency for messages as you ask," Nix started, "And well…"

Blinking at his Ghost's words, Pluto waited, letting the silence permeate the air before asking, "What's the matter?"

"Well," Nix hesitated once more, "Just listen."

White noise then filled the Exo Hunter's helmet, a sign for Pluto to remain silent until a familiar 'click' resounded through his audio receptors.

"Pluto, once you get this message, come to Rasputin's bunker as soon as you can." Akiva's voice rang through the blind Exo's headpiece, "Your friend, 'Sun' I believe, had sent their Ghost, Gaia, in an attempted cry for help. They were looking for you really, but since you had turned off your frequency, the others and I have decided to aid them in your stead. As such, as soon as your frequency is open, come to our aid as soon as you can. I know we will need help against the Taken."

No sooner had the audio ended when Pluto let out a choke, a cough to regain his breath, "Taken? In Rasputin's bunker?"

"Apparently so," Nix's tone was laced with worry, "What should we do?"

Narrowing his blind optics behind his blindfold, Pluto turned towards the newborns, "Met! Orion! Nova! Cosmos! Polaris! Scorpio! Gemini! Io! Cordelia! Olkar! Head to the Tower without me!"

This immediately caused the newborns to pause on their scavenging, Orion the one speaking out, "And where are you going, Pluto?"

Placing a hand on his hips, Pluto responded, "I am going to visit an 'old friend'."

Xxxxx

"Cayde, you're hiding something."

Snapping his blue optics away from his map, the Hunter Vanguard heaved himself up from his position on the table, "What?"

This earned him a blank stare from the female Warlock, "Cayde, I have no patience for games." She then heaved out a sigh, "Zavala and I have known you long enough that you are hiding something from us. And you are hiding something."

Glancing back and forth between the Titan and Warlock Vanguard, Cayde let out a shrug, "Oh come on, when was the last time I hid anything from you guys?"

That's when he received a glare from Zavala, causing Cayde to let out a flinch before he stated, "Sheesh, being doubled teamed here. Not exactly fair." Afterwards, he relented, "Fireteam Redacted. They played you two."

That's when the two Vanguard came to a pause, "What?"

A snort was their answer, "You didn't notice? It was obvious from the way Akiva was acting. He may have looked angry but if you pay close attention, his shoulders aren't as rigid and square. Plus, Angel," Cayde chuckled, "He can't lie through his teeth. At least, not to me."

"So, what you are saying, is that Fireteam Redacted lied?" Ikora stated, earning a shrug from the Hunter Vanguard, "And you didn't say anything?"

"What?" Cayde started, "Look, if they had held any ill intentions I would have noticed it. Promise." He sensed the doubting looks that his fellow Vanguard gave him, "I bet they just didn't want to go to Mars and that they really do simply want to go to the Cosmodrome for a simple patrol."

"If that was the case, they didn't have to 'feign' their way out of it," Zavala frowned before turning his luminescent eyes towards Ikora, "Fireteam Redacted is hiding something from us."

The female Warlock nodded her head in agreement, "Do not worry, I have a team already in mind to follow them."

"Oh?" Cayde whistled curiously, "and who would that be?"

Ikora shifted her golden gaze onto the Hunter Vanguard, "Myra, Malik ibn Tahir and Praxis-16. To make things simple, Fireteam Myra."

* * *

 _Heksis belongs to PegLegDregNeedTheirMeds_

 _Myra, Malik ibn Tahir, and Praxis-16 belongs to KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP_

 _They only have a mention right here, but Fireteam Myra will make an appearance in the next chapter, KBBP!...if I don't go overboard lol._


	32. Down for the Count

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Down for the Count_**

 _Sorry for the late update. Some personal stuff came up and it distracted me from writing for majority of the week and as such, for the reason of this short chapter (it's 5k words but I usually write close to 6-7k words...I like long chapters). Anyways, after hunting around SIVA fragments on Rise of Iron, I have a clear picture on SIVA's role in the sequel will be now :D. Although like before, the characters in this story won't be really interacting with the main story, more like on the sidelines._

 _Thanks for AAA (Didn't see your name in the review page the last time, Sorry!) and RainbowOverload for the review!_

 _RainbowOverload - Oh thank you! Appreciate it! ^_^. It's fun seeing all of people's OCs to be honest lol. It's interesting to see the ideas and personalities around these characters and then incorporating into the story is fun as well! I just want to make sure that people know that I do read the reviews which is why I try and respond as best as I can (although there are times when I am clueless on what to say so I just leave it blank...I apologize ahead of time and beforehand.)_

* * *

Suspicion could be clearly seen in her four eyes as she narrowed them at the familiar silver and white garb of Inkolas in the distance, the latter of which was helping repair a broken pike that the scavenging team had brought back. From the way he kept waving to the other Vandals to keep bringing him certain tools and then shaking his head everytime they bright the wrong one, it seems like the Vandal knows what he was doing. And for some reason, this puts Axtris in a dour mood.

" _If you are going to keep staring, then talk to him already."_

A stutter and stumble over her feet snapped Axtris' attention away from Inkolas and instead focused her attention on the Eliksni behind her, the latter of which let out a low rumble; a Fallen equivalent of a chuckle.

" _Vellak!"_ The female Eliksni hissed out, causing her littermate to tilt his head at her as he leaned against his staff, " _Do not do that to me!"_

The eldest littermate let out another low rumble in response, leaning against his staff as he reached out and patted his sister on the head, only to receive a slap of the hand in response as Axtris let out another hiss and lifted her gaze in order to lock onto her brother's four eyes. Her littermate had grown taller the past few months when both she and Vellak headed to the House of Spirits base of operations to help the once recently freed Fallen from the Reef, easily towering over the female Vandal. The reason? The Scribe had finally accepted his promotion to Captain, much to the surprise of the female Eliksni. Nonetheless, the extra rations of ether had caused Vellak to grow almost two heads taller than Axtris alongside to having to customize new armor in order to accommodate his changing body. With a new helmet familiarized amongst the Eliksni to finalize his rank as Captain alongside a new cloak adorned with white feathers, Axtris would have never recognized her elder littermate if she hadn't been there with him during his promotion. Even Olkar, when seeing his littermate through the screens of the communicator, refused to believe it was Vellak, not until the newly appointed Captain snapped back at him for being dense. Although this new promotion allowed the eldest littermate to be stronger, this does not mean that the injury sustained to his back had been healed. In Axtris' opinion, it just seem to burden his legs even more, the female Eliksni's point proven when Vellak heaved out a huff and limped towards a nearby seat, quickly allowing himself to sit before focusing his eyes back onto Axtris.

" _You have been keeping a close eye on Inkolas lately, Axtris,"_ Vellak said as he fixed his robes, brushing off any stray dust or dirt as he added, " _Is something the matter?"_

Instead of immediately responding to her littermate, Axtris let out a grunt before she cross her arms, turning her four eyes onto Inkolas, the latter of which jumped onto the Pike and turned it on, immediately causing the vehicle to hover, " _Although it has been a year, I still do not trust him, Vellak._ " She then focused her attention back her eldest littermate, _"He may have passed the inspection but I still doubt his alliance."_

A low rumble emitted from the Scribe, his luminescent eyes giving his sister a look of concern, " _He has done many for the House of Spirits, Axtris. If it not for him, we may not have had crafted the turrets in time to drive back the remnants of House Devils."_

" _It may be just a ruse,"_ Axtris retorted, earning a sigh from her eldest littermate, " _He's trying to gain everyone's trust and then as soon as suspicion is off from him, he will strike. I know it."_

" _Axtris,"_ Another sigh from Vellak before he shook his head, " _Not only is your suspicion is out of place, this is also not the time to act like so."_ Letting out a grunt as he heaved himself onto his feet, the Scribe added, " _We have to focus to ensure the safety of Kell Ixrsis."_

This caused Axtris to pause, her four eyes locked onto her brothers. She had nearly forgotten about the female Kell, the latter of which had been hidden away in her quarters the past few days. Although puzzled at first, Axtris had only learned recently why. Ixrsis was with pups, having mated with her Archon, Sirahks, the previous year. Although to Axtris' slight amusement, Ixrsis had confessed the two of them hadn't expected her to get pregnant from that 'one' night but the Kell had accepted without complaint. However, although the rest of House Spirits were overjoyed at the news of their female Kell siring pups, this was also of dire news. If their enemies figure out their Kell is expecting, there will be no doubt that they will wait until the day she delivers, where both she and the House of Spirits are at their weakest. As such, the past few months have been setting up the House's defenses, ensuring that when the day comes, both the Kell and her unborn litter will be safe.

" _I know,"_ Axtris grumbled out, lowering her gaze to the dry hearth as she kicked it; a habit she learned from Angel during their short stay with him at the Tower, " _but I just cannot brush off the feeling that Inkolas is planning behind ours backs."_

A low chuckle escaped Vellak before he hobbled over and patted the female Eliksni's head although this time, she did not hit his hand away, " _Do not worry, Axtris. Even if he does betray us, House Spirits are strong enough to handle it."_ He then let out another rumble, " _And if not, the Guardians will be there to ensure that everything will be fixed."_

Axtris let out a snort at her brother's words, " _As long as it is the Guardians and not the Awoken, I am more than happy on the help we will receive. 'If' we need it."_

Another chuckle was the response she received before Vellak glanced up, his four eyes glancing over Axtris' shoulder, " _Aaah, greetings Anikis, already finished with scouting?"_

Hearing the name of the Vandal, Axtris immediately turned around, her four eyes locking onto Anikis' blue and to her chagrin, Anikis avoided eye contact as he sputtered out, " _Y-yes."_ Hearing the male Vandal take in a deep breath, Axtris watched Anikis force his eyes off the ground and lock his gaze over her shoulder; a sign that he was trying to make eye contact with Vellak, " _there had been no signs of any Devils as far as my group and I could see."_

" _Good, Good,"_ Axtris heard her brother rumble out, " _And the traps?"_

" _Still operational."_ It was then the female Vandal saw Anikis once again turn his gaze onto her but once again, he turned flustered, bewildering Axtris even further as he once again turned his eyes to the ground. Apparently Vellak found it amusing, as Axtris heard her brother chuckling behind her, " _I will take my leave. This will give you two more time to 'acquaint' with each other."_

" _What?"_ Axtris turned to her side, her four eyes wide eyed at her elder littermate, " _What did you say?"_

Suddenly a wheezing cough could be heard nearby, causing both Vellak and Axtris to turn their attention back towards Anikis, the latter of which fidgeting on the back of his feet as he stated, " _I-I wish for you to stay, Scribe Vellak. To witness what I am going to do."_

Giving the male Vandal another bewildering look, Axtris' four eyes went wide as Anikis leaned over, grasped her hands and said, " _Axtris, would you like to be my life mate?"_

No sooner had the words left Anikis' lips when the world seemed to slow down for the female Eliksni, hearing the noises around her echo and the movements of those working around her slowing down to a near halt. It was only when she heard a wheeze next to her when she was snatched back into reality, snapping her gaze towards Vellak to see his four eyes wide and a death grip on his staff.

" _I-if that is alright with you, Scribe Vellak?"_ Anikis immediately stuttered out, his paper pale skin flushing red as he waited for an answer, causing Axtris to fidget nervously as her four eyes stared at the hand still latched onto hers. Her focus was then brought back to her brother when the Scribe let out a cough before letting out a low rumble afterwards, " _I do not have a say in this arrangement."_ He then locked his four eyes onto the female Eliksni's, " _If she so wishes it, then I cannot deny her a path to a happy life."_

" _Olkar will not agree,"_ Axtris muttered out, her shoulders drooping in defeat before turning her gaze back towards Anikis. Noticing the rigidness in his shoulders and the way he breathed heavily behind his ether mask, Axtris took in a gulp before she parted her lips to respond.

" _I challenge that hand in unity!"_

Silence immediately filled the area as the words echoed through the air, causing all eyes to turn towards the one who shouted the sentence. It was Inkolas, the Eliksni's four eyes narrowing at Anikis as he jumped off the Pike, letting the vehicle land back onto solid ground with a resounding crash, causing the nearby Dregs to let out a chorus of shrieks from surprise. The first emotion that popped into the back of Axtris' mind was one of shock; the very Eliksni that who she suspected to stab them in the back eventually is challenging another Eliksni for her hand in unity. Letting the silence fill her ears, Axtris' mind then wandered back to the time when another such challenge unfolded back in her younger years with the Devils, and remembered the victor taking the female Eliksni as their mate. The cogs in her mind rolled until it clicked within her mind that Inkolas could be her life mate, causing her jaw to drop behind her ether mask as Anikis glared at the challenger.

" _You think you can handle me?"_ Anikis snarled as Inkolas approached, the latter of which stood straight and tall, his arms lifting slightly from his sides; a sign of aggression, " _What makes you think that you will beat me and take her hand in unity?"_

" _When I beat you to a bloody pulp,"_ Inkolas retorted, letting out a growl near the end of his sentence. It was at this point that Axtris felt Anikis's hand slide off of hers, giving the female Eliksni to stand rigid and her hands reaching down to her sides to her shock blades; if they drag her into the conflict, then she will not go down so easily. Luckily for the female Vandal, Anikis instead approached Inkolas, assuming the same posture of the latter before letting out a shriek, taking steps forward in an attempt to intimidate his foe. Inkolas did not falter but instead let out a cry of his own, closing the distance between the two of them as he too took steps forward. This gesture continued several times, up until the two were nearly touching, snarling at each other as their four eyes glowed menacingly.

" _Enough!"_

All eyes turned towards a section of the grounds, only for everyone to be at salute as the familiar form of Sirahks appeared through the crowd, his shrapnel launcher visible in his arms. Adorned in the familiar silver and white colors of the House of Spirits, Sirahks' cap fluttered behind him as he approached the two males, the feathers around his neck seemingly bristling as he shouted, " _Why are you two causing all this commotion!?"_

Instead of immediately responding, Anikis lowered themselves closer to the ground, letting out small chitters of submission under the Archon's gaze. Inkolas however let out a low rumble but nonetheless postured themselves into a submissive posture, a sign to ensure not to aggravate the larger Eliksni even further. This caused Sirahks to let out a grunt before turning their four eyes towards the crowd, only to pause their gaze onto Axtris, the latter of which went rigid under his piercing gaze.

" _I see,"_ Axtris couldn't help but let a sense of dread fall into the pit of her stomach at those words, watching the Archon turn his attention back towards the two Vandals, " _So this is the right to mate with Lady Axtris I assume?"_

Axtris let out a wheeze at his words, the Archon seemingly having missed the sign as he continued, " _So a challenge have been set forth? Good, Good, I did not wish to think that House of Spirits males are lacking 'confidence' after the arrival of our Reef brethren."_ This caused a chorus of chitters to erupt from the surrounding Eliksni. Once again, Sirahks ignored what occurred and continued, " _Then let this challenge be set forward. Hand to hand combat."_ He then raised one of his upper arms, ensuring the other three arms supported his shrapnel launcher in his grasp as he pointed his hand towards Axtris and continued, " _The victor shall have the chance to mate with Lady Axtris."_

" _Do I not get a say in this!?"_ Axtris shouted however, her voice was lost amongst the shouts and chitters from the Eliksni around them, causing the female Vandal to let out a groan as Sirahks added, " _Then this challenge shall be set forth. Tonight. With nothing but the stars and the darkness as witness to this challenge!"_

Hearing once again, the chorus of shouts and chitters echoing through the air, Axtris only noticed her elder littermate when she felt his hand clasp down onto her shoulder, causing the female Vandal to turn and lock her gaze with Vellak's. Seeing both amusement and pity in his gaze, Axtris heaved out another sigh as the Scribe stated, " _I wish you luck, Axtris."_

Xxxxx

"Open up you damn piece of shit!"

If anyone were to ask Carina of her opinion on Sun-7, the notorious clan leader of the Galaxy Clan and a once proud member of the Sunbreakers, she would say only two words: complete psycho. The way they just fire their gun without hesitation into someone's chests without remorse just pushes Carina's buttons the wrong way and, to add into that factor when they realize their mistake they show no sign of regret, no sign of any remorse of their actions at all. Although, this did not stop the chuckle emit from the female Titan as Sun struggled to open a door, continuously pressing the buttons only to curse as it denied them once more.

"Rasputin! I thought you said you remember the pass code for this area!"

A familiar droning song faded through the area, this causing Sun to roll their optics, "You are shitting me. The Taken already corrupted this part of the area?"

The song drifted through the air once more however this one sounded annoyed and frustrated, causing the orange Exo let out a groan, "Great, fucking great. They may already be at the core even as we speak." Heaving out a rugged sigh, Sun glanced upwards at the ceiling, as if to make eye contact with Rasputin himself before returning their gaze towards the door. This continued for several moments before Sun turned and started walking away, bewildering Carina as they made their way towards her.

"Wait? We're leaving- ack!"

Carina's words were abruptly stopped midway as Sun grabbed her by the back of her collar, dragging the younger Exo along with them before they came to a halt at the middle of the hallway. Keeping their grip tight on the struggling female Exo's collar, Sun heaved out a sigh before the familiar solar light prickled against their plating, "I will make it up to you later, Rasputin." Then without another word, the familiar smoldering hammer snapped into existence in Sun's grasp before the orange Exo tossed the solidified light at the door. Almost as soon as the hammer came into contact with the door, an explosion resounded through the hall followed by the familiar sound of metal screaming through the air and smoke filling up the room. Not long after, Rasputin's voice rang through the hall however, his tone sounded annoyed and upset.

"I told you, I will make it up to you later," Sun retorted before finally releasing their grasp on Carina, the latter of which turned and gave her fellow Exo a glare behind her helmet, "Next time, give me a warning before you grab me."

Giving the younger Exo a blank stare, Sun heaved other another sigh and shook their head once more before reaching over to their back and removing their auto rifle, "Come on, we still have a lot of ground to cover."

"How much farther is it anyway?" Carina grumbled, hefting her shotgun in her hands, "last time we were here, we were able to get there in no time."

"That is because of Gaia." Sun retorted, earning a pout from the younger Exo, "Unlike me, Gaia can get around with ease thanks to the fact that I made Rasputin recognize their light signature."

"And you? You need codes to get around?" the Exo Titan asked, her violet optics staring at him in disbelief, "Why is that? I thought you were Rasputin's caretaker?"

That's when Sun came to a sudden stop, their body going rigid to the point that when Carina bumped into them, they hardly moved as the female Exo stumbled back, "Who told you that?"

That's when Carina gave the orange Exo a glare behind her helmet, "Who do you think? The only other person left alive to know all about you."

"I refuse to believe that."

That's when Carina gave Sun a frown behind her visor, "Pluto trusted us enough to ensure that information won't get out of our Fireteam. So if you're worried that word will spread of your relation with Rasputin, it won't."

"I trusted him not to tell anyone!"

The sudden outburst of Sun startled Carina to the point where she jumped back, watching Sun turn around with Solar light burning in their optics, "When the others and I found this Bunker! Found Rasputin! They promised me that they would not speak a word of the truth! Of our past lives to 'anyone'! Even the Clan!" Watching the solar light burn further in their gaze, Carina could help but gulp and take a step back as Sun continued to snarl out, "How dare he break my trust! When I get my hands on him I'll tear him apart!" No sooner had the words left Sun's lips when their optics widen and then a scream escaped them, leaning their head back as they dropped their weapon and their hands clenched against their head. Carina took several more steps back, startled by the action as the Ex-Guardian stumbled around as if attempting to shake off a presence around them. That's when the female Exo saw the burning flames around Sun turn dark, a tint of sickly green as it seemed to spread amongst the orange flames.

"Sun?" Carina spoke up, holding in her breath when Sun turned their optics towards the female Exo. Instead of the familiar yellow lights, the color took on an eerie green as the color seem to mold and dissipate in the Ex-Guardian's gaze, sending a sense of unease down the female Titan's back.

{ _"Carina! Get away from Sun! Right now!"_ }

Hearing the voice of her Ghost resound in her helmet, Carina snapped out of her shock quickly enough to roll to the left, narrowly dodging a strike from Sun. Jumping back onto her feet, Carina immediately went on the offensive, letting arc light crackle down the length of her arms before she dashed towards Sun. Quickly closing the distance between the two of them, Carina quickly slid down onto her knees and at the last moment, fired her shotgun at the Ex-Guardian. Hearing a shout of surprise and agony, Carina hadn't expected contact with the front of her helmet, the force of the hit strong enough to send the Titan sprawling backwards onto the metallic floor behind her. The edges of her vision flickering black, Carina only had enough time to notice the crack in her visor and the lack of her shotgun in her grasp before feeling a grip on the front of her armor, forcing her onto her feet before her violet gaze locked onto the eerie green lights of Sun. Blinking several times to clear her vision, fury then quickly overtook shock in the back of Carina's mind and arc light once again crackled around her fists. Spears must have sensed on what she was going to do next because right before Carina lifted her hand, she heard the Ghost let out shouts of warning before immediately going silent as her arc light filled fist collided with Sun's face.

"Snap out of it! Psycho!" She screamed as she felt her light burst from her fists and onto the Ex-Guardian, sending them sprawling onto the metallic floor of the hall as she felt their grip lost on her armor. Watching the Ex-Guardian lay still on the floor, Carina readied herself, bringing her hands in front and this time, taking a defensive stance.

" _Sometimes offensive won't always help you, Carina."_ Akiva's voice rang in the back of the female Exo's mind followed by his laughter when she had given him a pout in response to his words, " _Look, I know you like to rush in fists blazing but sometimes, defense is the best way to go."_ She then remembers Akiva bringing his arms up, ensuring that they protect his face but sturdy enough to take hits, and his legs shifting in a ninety degree angle, ensuring it's security, " _Take this stance and if you get it right, 'nothing' should be able to knock you down."_ She then remembers the smile he gave her afterwards, " _Then you should be able to summon Ward of Dawn afterwards."_

Shifting on the edges of her feet, Carina recalls 'almost' perfecting the stance but somehow, Akiva always finds a weak point, easily toppling her over with a single shove. Right now, she silently prays her posture was enough when she saw Sun slowly stand up, their optics the same eerie green glow and their solar light flickering around them, the left side of their face exposing wires and metallic mesh thanks to her arc light filled hit. She then watched Sun dash towards her, the sickly green light trailing behind them as they closed the distance. Gritting her metal plating together, Carina expected the hit to hurt but nonetheless, intense heat spread through her arms as she felt her feet slid underneath her, the Ex-Guardian easily pushing her back as though she was nothing. Sensing Spears turning off her neural sensors to numb the pain, Carina gritted her lips together before sinking her feet further into the metal floors, causing the two Exo to come to abrupt halt. Fixating her violet optics into the surprised look in the Ex-Guardian's features, Carina gave them a smile behind her visor, "Wake up, Psycho." Then without another word, she snapped her arms out, seeing the streaks of violet following her action from the edges of her vision. Almost immediately, purple light flashed in her gaze before she saw Sun fly backwards, the Ward of Dawn easily pushing them out of the safety of her bubble. Watching Sun land with a resounding crack onto the metallic floors once more, Carina let out a heave before she collapsed onto her knees, the ward flickering out of existence soon afterwards.

{ _"Damn."}_ Carina heard Spears curse, _{"Close but not quite."}_

"Shut up," the Exo Titan rasped out, "At least I was able to summon it this time."

{ _"Yes but you used too much light."}_ Spears hissed out, _{"Now look at you, you can barely stand."}_

Frowning behind her broken visor, Carina opened her mouth to retort only for the two of them to reign into silence as Sun stood up once more, the eerie green light still glowing in their optics.

{ _"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me."_ } Spears' words easily spoke for both Ghost and Guardian as Sun rolled their neck, as if the hits they had taken were nothing more than a warm up before slowly making their way towards the weaken Titan.

{ _"Get up! Get up! Get up!"}_

"You think I'm not trying?" Carina snarled out as she attempted to push herself back onto her feet, only to fall backwards onto her back as her legs screamed in protest. Cursing under her breath, Carina propped herself up with her hands as she watched the Ex-Guardian close the distance between the two, prompting Carina to reach over to her back and remove her auto rifle, prepping herself for a fight. However, as soon as the female Exo aimed her gun at Sun, a song rang through the hall; soothing and to Carina, filled with light.

{ _"Wait, it is filled with light."}_

"What?" Any other words that Carina intended to speak were suddenly lost as she felt her light rejuvenate, strengthening her to the point where the female Exo scrambled backwards to distant herself and the Ex-Guardian. Half expecting Sun to retaliate, Carina instead was surprised to find Sun's optics flicker, the eerie glow going back and forth between green and yellow before Sun let out a groan and collapsed onto their knees. Right as soon as their solar light died and their optics flickered back the familiar yellow that Carina recognizes, Sun fell to their side, their lights soon fading after. Blinking several times, the female Exo pushed herself onto her feet before cautiously walking over to the fallen Ex-Guardian before kneeling down and pressing a hand onto their shoulder.

"Sun?" Carina called out as she shook their shoulder, pausing momentarily to see a response. She received none.

{ _"Well, they're out."}_

Sensing the air shift and form around her, Carina turned her violet optics over her shoulder and saw the familiar violet and green form of Spears, the latter of which turned his gaze towards her, { _"Although this means we have to wait until they wake up."}_

That's when Carina's optics went wide, her jaw going slack behind her helmet, "Hold on a minute, what makes you think that I am going to wait until Sun wakes up to continue to the core?"

{ _"Because between the three of us, only Sun knows the way to the core."}_ Spears deadpanned, earning a pout from his Guardian, {" _Unless there's a way for us to understand Rasputin, I highly doubt he will be able to lead us anytime soon either."}_

As if to prove the small Ghost's point, Rasputin's voice echoed through the hall momentarily before it faded, {" _See. He spoke a full sentence and I didn't understand a single word."}_

"Then how the hell does Sun understand him?"

{ _"They were Rasputin's 'handler'."}_ Spears reminded, earning another pout from his Guardian, { _"It would only make sense that Sun would understand what Rasputin is saying."}_

"So what? We sit here and wait until Sun wakes up?" Carina heaved out a frustrated sigh at the single bob from her Ghost, "But what about the Taken? What happens if they bump into us?"

{ _"Then get ready for a fight."_ } Spears responded, causing the female Exo to pause, { _"You did say you wanted to fight the Taken right?}_

Glancing around the hall, Carina's violet optics spotted her fallen shotgun and pushed herself off of her feet. Walking over to her fallen weapon, the female Exo turned to face her Ghost, "I did." She then heaved out a sigh, "But not like this." With her thoughts spoken, Carina walked back over to Sun's unconscious body, cocking her shotgun once to ensure herself ready for a fight.

Xxxxx

"This way," Gaia instructed as they took a sharp turn down a hall, the doors immediately allowing them entry, "Just a few more halls and we should make it."

"A few more?" Aleeza wheezed out, "How do you manage to navigate yourself around here easily?"

"Well, when you're here for 'decades', it kind of just stays in your mind," Gaia responded before moving their parts up and down, "Plus, add into the factor that I have a memory that does not fade, it really does help."

"And Rasputin just lets you wander?" Angel asked, blinking at the single bob from the Ghost, "after all these years?"

"Hey, when it's only you, your Guardian, and a Warmind, you somehow find a compromise and form a bond." The gold and crimson Ghost muttered out, "and you form a trust strongly enough that one or the other won't go around and destroy the inner workings of Rasputin's bunker."

"And that you're Sun's Ghost?" Angel asked.

"And that I am Sun's Ghost," Gaia confirmed, "Just be careful when you get to the power core. Rasputin maybe letting the three of you in because Sun and I allowed it, but if you take even one misstep towards his core, he 'will' kill you."

"Oooh Lordy."

Snorting at the words of the human Hunter, Gaia took one final turn before continuing to glide into an open door, only to come to a sudden at a familiar black and white glowing figure.

"Back up! Back up!" Gaia shouted as they attempted to glide backwards, only to let out a small squeal of fear as the Taken Psion turned its single glowing eye at the Ghost and took aim with their weapon. However, before the small Taken could even fire, a white light flashed around the Ghost and as soon as Gaia blinked several times, the familiar arc energy swirling around Angel came into view, the Hunter grasping their blade as he easily slice through Taken, the latter of which let out cries of agony before disappearing into a vortex of the void.

"Go! Go!"

Hearing the Titan shout, Gaia instead turned their behind them, only to see another blur of arc light past their vision and turned back around in time to witness Akiva slam their fist into the ground, sending waves of arc light around him and finishing off any stragglers that Angel had managed to miss.

"Come on," Feel someone tap them from behind, Gaia glance to their side only to see familiar solar light fill their vision, watching the female Warlock walk past them with wings of fire, "Head on to the next room, we'll follow." Gaia then saw Aleeza glance over her shoulder, as if to send a smile to the Ghost from behind her visor, "We'll cover you." Then without another word, the Awoken Warlock dashed into the room as well, sending out waves of fire at any unfortunate Taken to get in her way. This left Gaia speechless, the gold and crimson Ghost watching with a wide optic at the three Guardians jumping into the fray, temporarily blinding them with arc and solar light.

"But, why would…," Bewilderment flashed into Gaia's mind, memories sliding through their memory banks as it watched the three Guardians battle against the Taken. Memories of 'organics' forcing Sun to the frontlines to take the brunt of the hits; memories of said 'comrades' leaving Sun for dead when swarmed by enemies; memories of being shot by fellow Guardians to ensure their own safety; memories of nothing but of betrayal and selfishness by 'organics'. But the three Guardians in front of them, beings of flesh and bone, jumped into the fray without a second thought. Gaia then shook their core several times. It is because they are a 'Ghost', not an Exo. They only care that Gaia will remain alive to ensure that they will remain with their Guardian; Darkness, the Ghost will not be surprised if they expect them to find another Guardian if Sun were to fall. No, Gaia won't fall for it, neither will Sun fall as well. Enclosing their shell close to their core, Gaia zoomed into the room, zig zagging across Taken and light as they made it across to the other side, the door immediately open up for them. No sooner had they entered into the next room, when the three Guardians followed suit, their light dissipating around them as they jumped through just and the doors closed shut behind them.

"Man! That's a great warm up!" Akiva shouted as he rolled his shoulders, the last remnants of arc light dissipating from his arms, "hopefully we take on tougher enemies later on! Hadn't had that much fun with arc light in a while!"

"I would actually prefer if we head to the power core room and secure that area than fighting any more Taken," Aleeza admitted before she turned to Gaia, the latter of which gave the Awoken female a blank stare as she stated, "So, are we almost there?"

"Just one more room," Gaia deadpanned as they turned and started leading the group of Guardians down the hall, coming to a pause at another door, "I just hope and pray that the Taken haven't invaded in there yet-"

The gold and crimson Ghost found themselves interrupted as a hand reached out and grasped its fingers around Gaia's shell as the door opened, causing the small AI to let out a small squeak as swirling black and white filled their vision. Then the squeaks turned to screams as Gaia felt pressure build around their core.

"Gaia!"

No sooner had the Ghost heard their name being called when the pressure around their shell loosen, giving Gaia enough time to glide backwards back into the safety of the hall. Moments later, they felt arounds wrap around their shell but unlike the previous death grip, this one was gentler, kinder, and in a long time, Gaia felt safe.

Seeing black around the edges of their vision, Gaia recognizes Aleeza's voice, the female Awoken's tone soft as she spoke, "Don't worry Gaia, we'll take it from here." Although distrust lingered in the back of their core, the gold and crimson Ghost couldn't help but let out a single sigh of relief before falling into darkness.

* * *

 _Just to clear things up, yes, the Darkness in Sun is slowly taking over. Why is why Sun decided to make themselves use codes around Rasputin's bunker. It won't stop them completely once the corruption completely takes over but it's enough to slow them down enough for Rasputin to call for back up. Anyways, yes, Gaia is slowly warming up to the 'organics' of the team but still hold some doubts thanks to their past experiences with other Guardians when it comes to Sun. Although I do believe that Guardians are heavily tolerant of 'everything', I do believe that in the beginning there were some pretty strong prejudices since everyone is still getting use to each other. Which is why Sun have experience pretty some severe traumas before forming the Galaxy Clan to ensure that no one goes through the same thing that they had during their youth. Or at least give them protection, something that they didn't have in their younger years.  
_

 _Also to clarify, both Sun and Gaia consider themselves gender neutral. Which is why I gave the two of them 'they' pronouns to show that they are part of the non-binary spectrum. Anyways, enjoy!_


	33. Give Them a Chance

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Give Them a Chance**_

 _I'm actually on time for once! Especially with Iron Banner going on last week! Anyways, I was squealing all week because one of my many theories of there being Guardians who are like pacifists (if you read the quest for Iron Banner there will be a quote from Shiro-4 talking about Guardians living in the outer systems) living their lives under the radar was actually confirmed! Was happy man! And it not only added pacifists but others as well! (I forgot who else. Shiro used some words I didn't recognize lol). Was giddy all week!  
_

 _Anyways, thanks RainbowOverload and mysterious Anon for the reviews!_

 _RainbowOverload_ _\- Oh dang! Well good thing you found it again! ^_^. Would suck to accidentally lose a good read lol. And oh! Tell your friends thank you and thank you for spreading it around! :D_

 _Anon \- Oh! Thank you! ^_^. Really appreciate the review! And yes, I do realize the first few chapters are a bit confusing to read so I had debated going back and fixing it when I have the chance...which is almost never since a combination of both work/laziness is preventing me from doing so lol._

* * *

Every time Ace glances over at their Guardian from reading reports, they couldn't help but let out a chortle. Every. Single. Time. The Ghost knows that Ianos can hear them from the throne and over the reports that the Guards read out to him, and as such, Ace always grins back at their Guardian every time the Warlock turns and narrows their eyes at the AI. The reason of Ace's constant amusement? Ianos' current attire. Instead of his usual robes and helmet, they were replaced with a dark leather coat reaching to his ankles (to give him more of a regal look, the Hand Maidens had claimed) and loose pants tucked into boots. The front of his coat was also opened to reveal patterned strips of violet leather lined with gold woven in the front followed by a fur lined collar. And to finish the look, a circlet rounded Ianos' forehead, the silver light glinting under the violet lights of the Reef to finalize his status. Of course, Ace had to integrate the prototype respirator around Ianos' attire to ensure the Guardian wasn't in constant agony and as such, had added belts in the inner lining of the Warlock's coat to ensure the canisters of the drugs were safely secured as Ianos sat upon the throne or wandered around the quarters of the Reef. All in all, to Ace, Ianos looked ridiculous and couldn't help but laugh at the Veteran Guardian, much to the latter's chagrin.

Nonetheless, Ianos had put up with the attire to get at least majority of the Royal Guards to listen to him (not many are happy that a 'man' had taken a seat on the throne, nonetheless a 'Guardian') and much of the lower ranking populace. It was the higher ranking nobles that was giving Ianos a harder time. When news of a 'Guardian' had taken the throne, many of the higher houses went into outrage, vying that only a 'Reefborn' of a high status can take the crown. Both Ianos and Ace knew that the Warlock Guardian fits both criteria but from the way Ianos kept pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, Ace knows for certain that they weren't going to let such information let public.

"I am not in the mood today, Ace," Ianos stated as he leaned back in his seat, his orange eyes watching the Royal Guards finally leave the throne room, leaving both Guardian and Ghost alone, "The Nobles are complaining again."

Humming to themselves lightly, Ace glided over to their Guardian's shoulder, "Is it about raising the taxes on the Nobles in order to get the funds needed to trade for food?"

"Yes," Another sigh escaped Ianos' lips, "I just don't understand it. Common sense says to take money from the rich, not the poor."

"Well, like you have stated before, Nobles are greedy," Ace snickered, "They will have to deal with it, just like the other previous times you had taken their wealth."

Ianos let out a snort at that, "You think? They kept demanding me to take from the lower ranking Awoken, even though they hardly have anything left for themselves with the exception of the roof over their heads." The Warlock rubbed his eyes, "If Mara and Uldren had to go through this every day I am astounded at their patience to listen to all these complaints."

"Which reminds me, any news on them yet?"

That is when Ianos turned his orange hues back onto his Ghost, letting his thoughts wander back when they had discovered important evidence: the chance that Prince Uldren is still alive. It was of wonderful news to the Warlock Guardian, especially when Petra came back with pieces and remnants of what was once the Awoken Man's ship. After picking the shrapnel delicately, it was then Ianos felt the presence of the Awoken Prince; weak but still there nonetheless. However, this was not enough to convince the Nobles, all of which vied for the throne and claimed that the Awoken Warlock just wanted the throne for himself (much to Ianos' disbelief). As such, he had ordered Petra to find more evidence of the Prince's survival and from what Ianos heard, she is currently assisted by the same Guardian who helped her find the remnants of the Prince's ship; a newborn if Ianos remembered correctly. Although hesitant that the Head of the Royal Guard is asking a newly awakened Guardian for help, Ianos decided to let it slide when he had heard news the same Guardian who had taken down Skolas; if they were strong enough to take down a Kell at their young age, then perhaps they were strong enough to handle the Taken. Although, this does not stop the unease in Ianos' chest.

"Not recently," The Awoken Guardian finally responded, seeing Ace's parts droop in disappointment, "Although it has only been a couple of days, we just need to be patient."

That's when Ace let out a snort, "Yeah, and miss out on spending time with Fireteam Redacted. Not to mention, seeing the rise of the Galaxy Clan as well."

This caused Ianos to slump in his seat as he heaved out a sigh, "Well, bad timing for us."

"No joke," Ace commented as they glided away back to the table filled with reports, gathering them up into their inventory before turning back towards Ianos, "Want to read these before more complaints come in?"

"They're not complaints they're…" Ianos paused, his expression blank before he held out a hand and stated, "Give them here."

Chuckling, Ace glided back over to the Awoken Guardian before transmatting the papers into the Warlock's hands and then proceeded to glide over to Ianos' shoulder and snuggle in comfortably.

"Guardian Ianos."

Both Ghost and Guardian couldn't suppress their groans; so much for alone time.

"Did I interrupt something?"

"No, we were doing 'anything' important," Ace grumbled as they glided off of Ianos' shoulder, "We were just sitting in the room doing 'nothing'."

If Ikora heard the sarcasm in the Ghost's voice, she didn't show any sign of it, "Good, then I have some questions to ask of you two."

Propping his elbow on the arm of his seat, Ianos leaned his head against his hand as he stated, "And that would be…?"

"The Vanguard and I have a reason to believe that Fireteam Redacted is hiding something out in the Cosmodrome." Ianos' eyes narrowed, "Since you are part of their Team, the three of us hope that you would have the answer to what 'secret' they are hiding out there."

Turning his orange hues towards Ace, Ianos watched the Ghost shake their core; a sign that the Vanguard cannot see his expression, "As I would 'strongly' like to help, I am afraid I will of no use to the Vanguard."

Silence on the other side of the coms, "You have a reason?"

Ianos scoffed at Ikora's question, "Let me say this: we all have secrets. Even the younger ones." This caused the Vanguard to pause once more, "It is true that I am part of Fireteam Redacted but each individual have their own secret. Darkness, even though Pluto and I have known each other for 'years', there's even information I have kept to myself." Straightening himself out in his seat, Ianos continued, "I do not know of this 'secret' that you claim my Fireteam has kept from you, Ikora, for the reason is that they have yet to tell me." He then let out another scoff, "Or perhaps that they would have if it wasn't for my 'absence' from the Tower." Ianos waited for an answer, a response, as he sat lazily in his seat, keeping his expression blank as he stared at Ace, the latter of which hovered patiently nearby.

"We apologize for interrupting you," Ikora's voice finally broke the silence, "We'll contact you again if we have anymore questions." Silence followed soon after.

"They turned off the frequency," Ace whispered as they glided back to their Guardian, "Most likely they're having a 'private' conversation."

"Then let's take this opportunity to get some privacy ourselves." Ianos muttered out, "The four of them. Lying? Towards the Vanguard? That's unlike them."

"Unless if it's something of great importance." Ace pointed out, causing the Warlock to go deep into thought, "Although I can't think of anything related to the Cosmodrome-" The Ghost came to a sudden halt, turning their single orange optic towards their Guardian, the latter of which returned the same wide eyed gaze.

"Sun," The two of them simultaneously breathed out and causing Ianos to slump in his seat, "Damn it, of all the times to call for help, it has to be when both Pluto and I are outside of Earth's system."

"It must have been an emergency if the team had to lie to the Vanguard in order to head to Rasputin's bunker," Ace hummed silently, "Wonder why Pluto hadn't responded to the call as well?"

"The Vanguard didn't mention him through the frequency," Ianos straightened out in his seat, "Who knows? Perhaps the others had sent him a message of what was going on. Pluto might be on his way to the bunker as we speak."

"Too bad we can't join them," Ace sighed, looking around forlornly, "At least not until we find Uldren 'alive'."

"Who knows how long that will take?" Ianos grumbled.

"Hopefully soon," Ace stated before they came to a sudden halt, a sign for Ianos to sit upright in his seat.

"Sorry about that, accidentally turned off the frequency," Cayde's voice rang through the coms, "We'll keep in touch."

This caused both Ghost and Guardian to turn and glance at each other; sometimes Cayde's 'accidents' are just too perfectly timed to be coincidental.

Xxxxx

"Great job Rasputin!" The orange Exo's lights brighten as familiar data filled the screen, "with this, we can learn more about the Traveler."

A droning voice echoed through the room, causing the Exo to let out a snort, "Yeah, although they promised me to let me 'outside' if I get this data, I highly doubt they'll keep that promise." Turning their eyes towards one section of the room where paper spilled from the floor from printed data, the Exo added, "Like how they 'promised' me the others times."

Walking over to the papers on the floor, the Exo started collecting the sheets before the familiar sound of the door slid open; a sign for the orange Exo to stand up and turn to face the humans entering the room, "If you're here to check on progress, the data is right here." Holding out the pieces of paper held in their hands and then waving towards the papers piling on the floor, the Exo stood to the side one human took the papers from their hands and another knelt down on the floor and examined the contents.

"Good job, Subject Alpha." The human beside the Exo let out a smile as they patted them on the shoulder, "This is exactly what we needed."

"Thank you," The Exo let out a nervous smile, keeping their yellow optics on the human kneeling on the floor, the latter of which had started collecting the papers, "If you do not mind, I have other data to sort through."

"What?" The human gave Subject Alpha a wide eyed look, "Don't you want to go outside?"

This caused the Exo to pause, "What?"

"Well we promised you that you would be able to go outside if you found us more data on the Traveler." The human then waved their hands towards the papers still spilling on the floor, "Well you did just that and as such, it is time to keep our end of the bargain."

Although excitement filled within the Exo's chest, Subject Alpha couldn't help but let doubt linger in the back of their mind as their yellow optics flashed back and forth between the two humans. That's when Rasputin's voice echoed through the room and almost immediately, the Exo's optics snapped towards the human on the floor; hidden behind their coat, was the familiar handle of a gun.

Instinct then took over as the orange Exo took several steps back, narrowly avoiding the lunge that the human beside them had attempted.

"Stay back!" Subject Alpha sprinted to one edge of the room, putting as much distance between themselves and the two humans. Their optics widen as one of the humans went over to one of the keypads and started typing, "What are you doing?"

"As you know, your original function was to operate and connect with Rasputin," The human kneeling on the ground stood up and brushed any dust off of their coat, "and it worked but it worked 'too well'." The Exo then saw the human remove their gun from their holster, "Rasputin has gained a sense of self awareness that is what we had wanted. But the two of you are becoming 'too close', too 'bonded' for Rasputin to work with humans properly." That's when Rasputin's voice echoed through the room, however, to Subject Alpha, it sounded like screaming, a cry for help but it suddenly went quiet, causing the orange Exo's lights to dim, "As such, we have to get rid of you if we want Rasputin to work with us."

That's when Subject Alpha ducked, hearing the bullet whiz past their heads and connect with the monitors behind them. Terror building up in their chest, the Exo dodged another attempted lunge by the other human, once again sprinting to another side of the room, "Why do you have to kill me to talk to Rasputin? Can't you just do it while I am given another task such as searching through data or drawing out blueprints or – "

"As soon as Rasputin gained self-awareness, all of you were made obsolete." The human interrupted, causing the orange to pause, "We have no more use for 'machines'."

"All of…" Subject Alpha's voice faded, their yellow optics widening as they stated, "The others…what have you done?"

"We simply needed to get rid of the 'garbage' is all," The other human responded, "It took us a while but it was easy to fool you. All we had to do was wipe your memory every time you ask us where the others are."

Shock overwhelmed Subject Alpha's senses, their hand trembling as they reached up and placed their fingers delicately on their head, "Wipe my…"

"It was so simple," One of the humans continued, "Just told you were going for a simple checkup and when you were turned off, just had to get into your systems and do a simple wipe."

Listening to the human's words, the orange Exo's jaw hung open, their yellow optics wide as they thought back to their short encounters with their fellow brethren in the halls. Walking up to the familiar black and white Exo only to be given a bewildered look and state that they were EXO-COM/SEC-99 not EXO-Com/SEC-98. Or when they found EXO-COM/MED-86 only to be told they are EXO-COM/MED-88. Back then, Subject Alpha had believed they had been mistaken, that the humans have legitimately built others of their kind in similar build and color and they had believed they would meet their 'old' friends eventually. The realization that these 'new' Exo were in fact the one and the same caused Subject Alpha to collapse onto their knees, startling the two humans present in the human. And then that's when the missing pieces returned. Subject Alpha had demanded answers, kept asking why these 'new' Exo looked so much like their old brothers and sisters but yet are not; their personalities similar but yet not the same. And each and every time, the humans would lure them to the Medic Bay, where they would be instructed to power down for a 'tune up'. Letting the flurry of memories return, Sun counted a total of seven times of these trips. Seven times they had wiped their memory. Not long after this realization, the orange Exo started screaming.

"SEC-98!" Subject Alpha screamed, "SEC-99 where is MED-86!?" Strangled sobs emitted from the Exo although their optics remained dry, "SEC-98! MED-88! SEC-5! Where is everyone!? Where is-"

They were suddenly interrupted as they felt a force hit the side of their face, sending the orange Exo sprawling onto the floor to their side. Their vision flickering in and out, it was only when one side of their sight returned when Subject Alpha finally reached out to the left side of their face. Instead of familiar smooth plating, their fingers instead met interlace wires and metal followed by a deep indent where the left side of their face should be. Before they could properly process what had occurred, Subject Alpha glanced up as the shadow of one of the humans loomed over them.

"You have done well, EXO-COM/AP."

It was then the orange Exo slumped back onto the floor in defeat, their yellow optic seemingly dimming as they heard the cock of the gun echo through their auditory receptors.

"Wait for me, I'm coming," Subject Alpha whispered before a loud bang echoed through the air and darkness filled their vision

Xxxxx

Sun snapped their eyes open, taking in a deep gasp before abruptly sitting up and swinging up at the closest presence they sensed within their vicinity.

"Hey! Watch it Matchstick!"

This is when the orange Exo paused, their yellow optics blinking wildly before stating, "Carina?"

That's when they heard the female Exo let out a snort, "Yeah and you Sun-7?"

Turning their optics so that their gaze locked onto the standing form of the Exo Titan, Sun only gave her a blank look before her words finally clicked within their head. They then closed their optics and pinched the bridge of their nose, "I lost control, didn't I?"

"You think?" Sun opened their optics in time to see Carina cross her arms, her helmet hiding her glare, "You nearly killed me, Psycho. If it wasn't for Rasputin turning on that song when he did, I would have been toast. Literately."

The Ex-Guardian gave Carina a puzzled look, "Song?"

Sun's question caused the female Exo to tap her foot impatiently, "I thought you would have answers but from the look on your face, I'm doubting I am going to get any."

Once again letting the female Exo's words circulate in the back of their mind, Sun's optics widen as Carina's words finally clicked, "So it worked."

Sun's statement caused Carina to place her hands on her hips, "So you 'do know' what I am talking about then?"

"Yes," Sun pushed themselves onto their feet, staggering as the blurriness of their vision faded in and out, only to frown when the right side cleared however the left remained blurry, giving Sun a half field of vision as they finally balanced themselves.

"Oh, yeah, right," Sun watched Carina rub the back of their neck when the orange Exo had turned and gave them a blank look, "Look at the wall, it's reflective enough."

Taking the female Exo's advice, Sun turned their head towards the left side of the hall, only to freeze at what they saw staring back. Instead of the symmetrical even plating that Sun recognized, the left side's plates had melted away, leaving jagged pieces of orange and grey from the top of their head and jaw. This in turn exposed the mesh of wires and metal underneath, giving them the equivalent of a human without skin. Their left optic was cracked, causing the yellow light dimming in and out in an attempt to straighten itself out. When Sun turned their head and glared at the younger Guardian, Carina let out a scoff as she crossed her arms again, "Hey, you were attacking me. What else was I supposed to do? Let you kill me?"

At first, keeping their gaze narrowed at the younger Exo, Sun's gaze soon soften before another sigh escaped the Ex-Guardian. They have to admit, Carina's words have truth in them.

"To answer your question earlier, the 'Song' you have heard was a protocol that both Gaia and I worked on years ago." Sun stated as they placed a hand on the left side of their face. Although Gaia had long ago turned off their neural sensors, somehow Sun feels the echo of the wound and as such, couldn't help but let their fingers tips caress the exposed wires uncomfortably as they continued, "You see, not long after the City was built, my Light had been infected by the Darkness and as each day passed, the Darkness slowly grew and devoured my light."

A shrill cry caused Sun to snap their attention back onto Carina, just in time for the female Exo to reach out with the back of her hand and smack her Ghost; strong enough to send them reeling but gently enough to not cause any serious damage. Giving the Exo Titan a bewildered look, Sun decided to continue when Carina simply crossed her arms once more, "Both Gaia and I knew that it was inevitable that I would die from the Darkness consuming me or I succumb to the Darkness and I would become its soldier. So the Song was created." Glancing around, Sun noticed their discarded auto rifle and slowly made their way to their weapon. After bending over and slinging it over their shoulder, it was then the orange Exo continued, "It took a lot of trial and error, but Gaia and I somehow had imbued our light into a single audio recording in Rasputin's systems. We had told Rasputin to play the song if I ever lost control." They then heaved out a sigh, "I had hoped that the Darkness would kill me but it seems like I have fated to be its Soldier instead."

Turning their yellow optic back onto Carina, Sun noticed her posture relax, her arms to her side before hearing her speak, "So that Song then, that was the protocol that you and Gaia had created?"

Sun nodded, "And from what you just said, it worked." They then glanced up at the ceiling, as if to spot the Song itself, "Although for how much longer, that is uncertain."

"What do you mean?"

The Ex-Guardian returned their gaze back at the female Guardian and gave her a bitter smile, causing the younger Guardian to reel back in surprise, "My Light has almost been completely consumed, 'young light'. Pretty soon, the Darkness will take me and it will make me into its weapon." A scornful laugh then escaped from Sun, "How ironic, I have fought for 'years' to prove to humans that Exo are simply more than 'war machines' but yet I am going to become one soon." Taking in a deep breath, Sun finally lowered their hand from their damaged face, letting it flop to their side before giving Carina another bitter smile, "So if you do not mind, before that happens, let us save Rasputin, shall we?"

Although half their vision was impaired, Sun could easily see Carina's optic shift, her gaze switching from bewilderment to concern then frustration, "It doesn't have to be that way, back at the Tower-"

"You think I haven't looked into Ianos' little life support?" The orange Exo saw the Titan pause, her stare hidden behind her visor, "I sensed the darkness within Little Light's light and I had Rasputin scan him for the reason why his condition is 'stable' compared to mine." Sun shook their head as they waved it off, "We were able to replicate the gear but my chance of survival had long since passed. There is nothing that can save me now." A sigh escaped their lips, "The only thing I can do is at least ensure Rasputin is safe and that Gaia will survive to find another Guardian."

"Not another Exo?"

Sun snapped their attention back onto Carina, their yellow optics narrowing at her question as they watched the female Exo's body go rigid, her hands flexing around the frame of her shotgun as if readying herself for a fight as her Ghost immediately materialized into her armor. Although frustration bubbled within the back of Sun's mind, they instead said nothing and opted to turn and continue down the hallway, hearing the heavy clunking footsteps of the Exo Titan following not too far behind them.

"Look, I understand your 'hatred' for organics," Carina's voice echoed on Sun's right side, "but to hate 'all' of them? That's not realistic."

Her words caused Sun to abruptly pause and snap their yellow optics towards the female Exo, the latter of which stood her ground as the orange Exo growled, "Oh? And you know more about 'organics' than 'me', 'young one'?"

The Ex-Guardian easily could see Carina flex her hands next to her sides, her rigid shoulders and shaking as she clenched her jaws, "I maybe younger than you but at least 'I' at least tried to make friends with organics."

"You think I haven't tried!?" Sun watched as the younger Guardian jumped back, her body shifting defensively as they added, "I attempted to give organics plenty of 'chances' but each time, they betrayed my trust." They then grabbed the front of Carina's armor and pulled her close, staring down her visor as they added, "Tell me, 'young light', do you know how it feels to trust someone to watch your back only to have that very same 'person' stab and leave you for dead? Or claiming that they would never abandon you only to run away at the first sign of danger? Or try to kill you once they see your 'usefulness' has passed?" That's when Sun felt Carina's body go rigid in their grasp, hearing the younger Exo take in a sharp intake of breath, "So, the latter then?" When they gained no response, Sun instead scoffed and shoved the younger Titan back, "You are young, Carina. Come and talk to me about 'organics' once you experience at least 'half' of they will do to you 'out there'." Turning their back to the younger Guardian, Sun started their way down the hall.

"Then what about Ianos?" Hearing the name of the Warlock, Sun immediately paused, their hands clenching their rifle tightly as their optics widen, "You think I didn't hear you call him 'Little Light'?" Sun could hear Carina huff behind them, "The only time 'I' hear Ianos ever being called that was by Pluto and he claimed that only one other person used it but that person is now long gone." Hearing the female Titan pause behind them, Sun turned around and gave the younger Guardian a blank look, "Stop it."

"Do you know what I see every time Pluto calls Ianos 'Little Light'?" Carina continued as if she never heard Sun's warning, "I see tenderness, warmth, and assurance." The orange Exo then watched her throw her arms into the air, "Darkness, if it wasn't for the fact my vocabulary isn't as expansive as a Warlock's, I would have gone on and on!" She then crossed her arms, her the hardness of her glare easily permeating through her visor, "I just want to know why you hate organics but at the same time treat Ianos with the same respect and courteousness as though he was an Exo himself. Freaking fucking hypocritical if you ask me."

Rage instantly took over Sun's senses and before they could stop themselves, they already had closed the distance between them and grasped the front of her armor once more however this time he lifted her, hearing her gasp in surprise before she started kicking and cursing, feeling her hands repeatedly hit their arm in a vain attempt to make them lose their grip.

"Don't talk like as you know every single circumstance, 'young one'," Sun snarled, keeping the female Exo arm's length to ensure her kicks barely brush again their chest, "You 'do not' know the history behind Ianos and I." They then tossed the smaller Exo, causing her to let out a grunt as she landed. Watching her push herself up into a sitting position, Sun once again turned and started down the hallway.

"Hey!" They once again heard the familiar clunking of feet slow down next to them, "Then tell me your history then! I want to understand!"

Sun tossed another glare at the younger Exo, "My history is 'long', young one. By the time we reach Rasputin's core, we wouldn't even have reached half of it."

"Then tell me about Ianos," Sun's optics soften at the mention of the Warlock's name, "How does he fit in your life that made you accept him but not others?"

Shifting their gaze towards the hall, Sun remained silent, listening to Carina's footsteps match theirs as they let silence permeate around them, listening to the sound of the power buzzing around them or their footsteps clunking heavily against the metal floors.

"I imagine Pluto told you that both he and Neptune met Ianos just moments after the Last City was built, correct?" Sun turned their gaze towards Carina just in time to see her nod once. This in turn caused them to turn their focus back down the hall, "Well I had met Ianos before then, back before the Galaxy Clan was formed and back before the two of us had names."

Hearing the younger Exo gasp audible, Sun turned and gave her a bitter smile, "Back when Guardians were called 'Risen'."

Xxxxx

"Gaia? Gaia?"

Feeling the fogginess of their mind clear, the Ghost blinked several times before letting out a groan, lifting themselves slowly as they stated, "Where are we?"

"In Rasputin's core room."

This immediately caught the gold and crimson Ghost's attention, Gaia snapping their gaze towards the female Warlock as the latter let out a sheepish smile, "We're what?"

"You clonked out after that Taken almost crushed you," Gaia turned their gaze towards one section of the room only to see Akiva seated on the steps in front of a door, his helmet in his lap to reveal the sweat and exhaustion around his eyes, "We were able to clear out the room but they just keep coming."

"We were able to keep them out for a small while but then they started to come into the room." Gaia shifted their gaze back onto Aleeza, the Ghost feeling themselves being lifted as the Warlock shifted her hand so that the AI have a better view of Rasputin's core, "we were able to protect the core but since their numbers seem limitless at this moment, we had to resort to 'that'."

At first bewildered, Gaia's yellow optic then widened as the familiar violet dome of the Ward of Dawn came into their sight, only to see through the violet shield the familiar cylindrical core buzzing with power behind it.

"It's working so far," Gaia heard Akiva chuckle, "but between keeping the Ward up and keeping the Taken at bay, I don't know how much longer I can keep it up and let's not forget to mention that I can't summon another Ward of Dawn for us."

"Let's just pray that they will give up," Gaia turned their attention to another corner of the room only to recognize the silver and white form of Angel standing vigilant at another door however, the Ghost could easily see the slump in their shoulders and the exhaustion in his voice, "Eventually."

It was then Gaia felt the grasp of Aleeza leave them, causing the Ghost to focus their attention back onto the female Warlock as she hefted her pulse rifle in both of her hands, "Come on, we can do this. Just a tad bit longer. Who knows, Akiva, maybe Pluto have gotten your message and is on his way here now."

Gaia watched Akiva force himself onto his feet with his helmet in hand, watching the Titan stumble before composing himself just enough to slip his headpiece back over his head, "I hope so. I don't know how much longer I can keep the…" Hearing Akiva's voice fade, Gaia glided over to the Titan as the human placed a hand on the side of his helmet and almost immediately, the Ward flickered around the core.

"Akiva?" It was Aleeza's voice, the female Awoken walking over and placing her hands on her twin's shoulders.

"I-I'm fine," Gaia heard the Titan take in a deep breathe, regaining his composure long enough to let the Ward of Dawn solidify once more, "Just not use to keep up the Ward longer than a few minutes."

"Don't overexert yourself," A pat on Aleeza's hand was enough to cause the female Warlock to slip her hands off of the Titan's shoulders. Gaia then watched her turn and hold out her hand towards the Ghost, "If you don't mind, you can stay in my armor." Gaia must have gave her a bewildered look since not long after, Aleeza chuckled, "Safer than staying outside in the middle of gunfire and Taken, right?"

Although Gaia hated to admit it, they saw truth in the female Warlock's words and as such reluctantly materialized into the Guardian's armor and almost immediately, their perspective shifted. True, Ghosts constantly have the radar in their vision, always active and ready in case of any enemies sneaking up on them or their Guardian, but once inside the helmet of a Soldier of Light, what equipment they have equipped also becomes visible in their vision alongside the amount of ammo and the strengths of their shields. Currently, Gaia could see Aleeza's shields at full strength and her ammo in adequate quantity.

"Now I do not mind sharing but remember this, 'I' am the one calling the shots in here, you understand?"

That's when Gaia snapped out of their trance, immediately sensing the presence of the female Ghost within Aleeza's helmet.

"I understand," The Ghost managed to respond and immediately they sensed deep satisfaction from Lena, "Good, glad that we can understand each other."

"Incoming!"

Angel's voice was soon drowned out by the familiar screams of the orbs of darkness forming just outside of the doors, a bright flash of light temporarily blinding those present in the room before it finally cleared to reveal the familiar orbs of darkness levitating just barely above the ground, the Taken slithering out of the rings. Almost immediately, Gaia watched Aleeza shift her sights onto the orb of darkness, firing away at its liquid like surface and slowly backing away at the familiar twitching form of Hive Taken. Just as the creatures closed the distance between themselves and the female Warlock, Angel dashed into view, arc light once again pulsating around him as he swung his knife easily into the Taken bodies, causing them to let out screams before they spiraled back into the void.

"One down!" Aleeza shouted as one of the orbs of darkness exploded, its mass of Darkness dissipating into mists before the female Warlock dashed towards the other entrance to the room and immediately Gaia saw the familiar form of Akiva, the Titan punching back a Taken Psion as he fired away at the Taken Orb nearby, "Head's up!"

Almost immediately, the edges of Gaia's vision filled with fire before the Warlock's hand came into view, her Solar Grenade easily light up those it made contact before staying there like a mini sun, burning away any other Taken unfortunate enough to walk idly by. Sensing of the power of Radiance burn strongly, Gaia continued to watch Aleeza's grenades kill off any remaining group of Taken before tossing her final one at the orb of Darkness, the grenade easily eating away at its black surface before it finally dissipated from view. Not long after, familiar orbs of light bounced into the open, a sign that Aleeza's Radiance was prominent enough to let any small amount of light left over from her skills to take physical form. These orbs were immediately picked up by Akiva, the latter of which slid into the orbs which immediately broke and dissipated around the Titan and causing Gaia to sense the human slowly be rejuvenated by the effort; it may have been a small amount but it was enough to help Akiva get back onto his feet. Not long after, Angel once again popped into Gaia's vision but this time, the arc light died around his body and blade and the young Hunter let out a heave as he leaned his hands against his knees to support himself.

"Damn, is there no way to close the doors?" Angel rasped out as he stumbled towards the wall and leaned his shoulder against it, removing his hand cannon from his holster and flipped it to the side and glanced inside. To Gaia, from the way the Hunter flinched and immediately flipped the cartridge shut, the young Guardian wasn't doing too well on ammo.

"We just cleared out another wave." Akiva huffed out, shaking out his shoulders in a vain attempt to shake off any exhaustion, "but damn it, why isn't our light rejuvenating fast enough? We shouldn't be this damn tired either."

"Must be the Darkness here," Hearing the female Warlock's words, Gaia sent out a small amount of light, a small 'ping' to confirm the Awoken Guardian's theory, "Since the Taken keep appearing and reforming, the Darkness must have become more prominent."

"Otherwise we can't die either," Angel sighed, leaning his head against the wall, "or at least one of us stay alive long enough to run around and revive the others."

A snort could be heard from the human Titan, "I would say that that's possible if it wasn't for the fact that we're in a small room with only two entrances, both of which are an entryway for the Taken. And let's not forget to mention that those Taken Psions can easily replicate themselves to the point where we can be overwhelmed."

"And we have to take out those orbs of darkness as well," Aleeza reminded, "If we do not, it'll just summon more Taken for us to fight. The more we kill, the more it will summon."

"So how much longer do you think we can last down here?" Angel asked as he pushed himself off of the wall, "At least until the Taken gives up?"

That's when the room went silent, the three Guardians staring each other down to the point where even Gaia shifted uncomfortably in their little corner within the female Warlock's helmet.

"I believe they will go away once Carina and Sun make it to the Core room," Aleeza finally broke the silence, "if they secure it there, perhaps the Taken would believe their mission have been compromised and would fall back."

"But how long would that take?" Akiva asked, "We have been taking on these Taken for who knows how long and it seems like they show no sign of backing down. What happens if Carina and Sun fail to secure the Core room?"

That's when Gaia saw Aleeza's line of sight shift, watching her view turn downwards to the floor before shifting her gaze back towards her two teammates; the gold and crimson Ghost recognizes this gesture too easily. As such, Gaia was not surprised to hear the words spilling from the Warlock's mouth, "Then we stand our ground and pray to the Traveler that they would give us a miracle."

"So there's a chance that we won't make it then?" It was Angel who asked, the latter of which gained a single nod as an answer from Aleeza.

Once again silence permeated throughout the room, the Hunter's and Titan's gaze now fixed upon the female Warlock. In Gaia's experience, usually when Sun announced such words, most attempted to run away or at least tried and convince their Guardian to run away; the only exceptions were those within the Clan. And Ianos. So in retrospect, Gaia couldn't help but shock ring throughout their system when Angel heaved out a sigh and stated, "Well, I don't know how much longer I can fight with so little ammo and light reserves but won't hurt to try."

"And I don't know how much longer I can protect Rasputin's power core," Akiva admitted sheepishly, cocking his shotgun in his hands as he added, "But let's make it last, right?"

Seeing Aleeza's gaze shift up and down to signify a nod, another scream echoed through the room followed by more orbs of Darkness forming near the entryways; a sign for all those present to defend themselves.

"I do not understand," Gaia whispered, watching Aleeza duck under the swipe a Taken Vandal before lifting up her pulse rifle and firing, instantly killing the corrupted Fallen, "Why are they staying? Meatbags usually run away, why would –"

"My friends have said it again, and again, not all 'organics' are the same," Gaia paused as Lena's voice echoed through Aleeza's helmet, the female Guardian having either ignored the words echoing through her mind or too distracted of the chaos around her to pay any attention, "Do we have to force it into your tiny little core to understand?"

The gold and crimson Ghost remained silent, a sign for Lena to continue, "Do you think that your Guardian was the only one who was discriminated their entire life? There are others who experienced the same exact thing your Guardian went through but yet still chose to trust organics." Gaia could hear Lena let out a snort, "I mean look at Carina and Pluto. The two of them went through the same discrimination as Sun but still formed a Fireteam with us and now they have someone they can finally trust to watch their back. So I assure you, give this team a chance. They aren't like the others."

Staying silent, Gaia focused their attention back onto Aleeza's perspective, watching her finish off the last of the Taken wave with a solar melee, easily sending the corrupted Hive into flames, "A part of me really do want to give these Guardians a chance but," They hesitated, "another part of me keeps holding me back, telling me that they will just betray us again just like the others."

"You will never know unless you try, try, and try again."

This caused the Ghost to pause, slowly contemplating on the female Ghost's words before they materialized outside of Aleeza's armor, startling the female Warlock, "I have to go. Sun told me to return to them once I guided you here."

"But there's Taken everywhere now," It was Angel who spoke up, the young Hunter shifting nervously on the back of his feet as he continued, "How about one of us go with you? Give you protection?"

Their yellow optic blinking once, Gaia shook their core several times side to side, watching the Hunter's shoulders go slump in response, "I know this area well, I should be able to take the 'short cuts' to Rasputin's Core with little to no trouble." Their fins then spun once before they added, "Anyway, I believe you will do more good here than guiding an old Ghost back to their Guardian."

Bobbing their core once to signify their goodbye, Gaia glided upwards towards one of the vents, materializing through in order to get themselves inside before traversing the outlets.

* * *

 _More of Sun's back story has been revealed! :D_

 _Anyways, Oc's are going to make an appearance in the next chapter so look out ^_^_


	34. Naturally Born

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Naturally Born  
**_

 _I apologize for the late update guys. Work had been hell for me the past week and as such, everything I come home, I just collapse in bed, leaving no time to actually write. So once again I apologize.  
_

 _Anyway, this chapter was suppose to have more content however after looking at the word count, I decided to move the rest onto the next chapter (like it was at 7k last time I checked). So another week awaits :D_

 _Thanks zantilis for the review! ^_^ I 'love' showing backstories on characters, especially those I had introduced a while back. Sadly, since the story has to continue on, I have to find ways to make a 'huge' backstory in a small part of the story so it won't drag on lol. _

* * *

_ _Transcript [Redacted] __

 _Source: [Redacted]_

 _Alias: [Redacted]_

 __ Transcript of a conversation between two individuals, a [Redacted] [g.1] and [Redacted] [g.2] and their Ghosts [g.3] [g.4]. Identities unknown __

 __ Initiating Transcript __

 _[g.1]: You were lucky that I found you. The Fallen are merciless out in these parts. What are you doing here anyway?_

 _[g.2]: I…I do not know. I just wanted a safe place to rest. Someplace where I can be at ease and not constantly worry of these…Fallen trying to kill me in my sleep._

 _[g.1]: So you're a newborn then?_

 _[g.2]: Newborn?_

 _[g.1]: Recently resurrected. Did your Ghost not explain any of these things to you?_

 _[g.3]: There was no time. It was either stay in one spot and get killed by curious Fallen or runaway as far as we can._

 _[g.4]: Not much different than us then. Aah, the memories. The constant hit and run with the Fallen back when you were just a newborn._

 _[g.1]: Yeah and something I do not want to be reminded of._

 _[g.4]: Hey, you have to admit, you had fun when you smacked those scavengers in the head with an iron bar._

 _[g.1]: Good point. (Clears throat) Anyways, Newborn. You have a name?_

 _[g.2]: (Pause) No._

 _[g.1]: No?_

 _[g.3]: Memory loss. Side effect of resurrection. Is it not normal?_

 _[g.1]: Well from what I have learned from meeting others like us, normally yes but, not our names. Many others like us remember their names at least.. But do not worry, you're not alone in this._

 _[g.2]: What do you mean?_

 _[g.1]: You think you're the only one that can't recall their name? There are others like you and right now, you are looking at one of them._

 _[g.2]: You… do not remember yours either? Wait. You speak as though you have experience. Just how old are you?_

 _[g.1]: Hitting ten years at the end of this month. Although it's nothing to brag about. Nothing special about age._

 _[g.2] But ten years? Then there must be plenty of others! Like us?_

 _[g.1]: Yes but do not be so excited on meeting them._

 _[g.2]: What do you mean?_

 _[g.1]: I have met ones like you, who are innocent and new to this world. But I have also seen them in a span of a year change. Grow corrupt with the power we are born with. If they see you, Newborn, they will not hesitate to take you down in order to take down competition._

 _[g.2]: Then I am lucky you are the first of our kind that I have met._

 _[g.1]: (Pause) How long have you been wandering the wilds?_

 _[g.2]: Almost thirty days now._

 _[g.1]: And yet you have not bumped into anyone else like us?_

 _[g.3]: We are pretty good at hiding. Although I don't know if that is something to boast about._

 _[g.1]: In the world we current live in, hiding maybe the best option for Newborns such as you. So until you get stronger, stay hidden._

 _[g.2]: …If you do not mind, are there any nearby settlements?_

 _[g.1]…You do know that others like us station at such places?_

 _[g.2]: I am tired of the 'wilds' as you call it. I want a place where I can rest without fear of being killed in my sleep or find sustenance without having to keep up my guard. I actually want to feel…safe._

 _[g.1]: … (Sighs) Alright, I will bring you to the nearest settlement, however, do not expect it the way you thought it will be. Come on._

 _[g.2]: We are leaving now?_

 _[g.1]: It's dangerous to traverse through the dark. Especially since those scavengers are more active at night. Come, before it gets too late._

 _[g.2]: Are you going to stay?_

 _[g.1]: No I cannot. I have to continue my search._

 _[g.2]: Search?_

 _[g.1]: To search for others like us. (Laughs) We cannot be the only two who cannot recall their names. And when I do find those without names like us, then I shall form a family. A family where we can freely call each other 'brother', 'sister', 'sibling', 'mother', 'father', and so on._

 _[g.2]: Can I join this family?_

 _[g.1]: (Laughs) Of course, Newborn. Just stay in this settlement and once I find others, I will come back. It is a promise._

 __End Transcript__

Xxxxx

"What do you think Pluto means when he said he was going to visit an 'old friend?"

Tuning in on Scorpio's voice, Orion immediately responded, "How am I supposed to know? I only knew Pluto for one year."

"Yeah but that's your entire life!" Gemini voice chirped through the coms, "You have to at least know something."

Orion groaned at this, "Look, I tried prying Pluto for information but the best I got was that his 'old friend' lives in the Cosmodrome."

"The Cosmodrome?" Cordelia's voice popped in through the coms this time, "Why the Cosmodrome?"

"Darkness guys, I'm practically a Newborn myself. I know nothing," Orion pouted behind the controls of his ship, "Let alone what Pluto is up to."

The chorus of disappointed whines echoed through the coms, causing the cyan Exo to heave out another groan. Although he may be only a year old, Orion hated the fact that he's the oldest of the Galaxy clan. The constant question, the badgering of why he doesn't know as much as Pluto despite the fact that Pluto is 'hundreds' of years old, and he always has a hard time keeping all eight of them in line. He doesn't know how the blind Exo does it. Heaving another sigh, Orion was snapped out of his thoughts when the familiar rumbles and growls echoed through his audio receptors, causing him to glance over his shoulder in time to see Trikxas and Olkar conversing with each other, "Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

Orion then saw the female Ghost turn her pink optic at the young Guardian, "What did I say earlier about learning the Eliksni language?"

"Oh come on," The Exo Titan grumbled, "You know as well as I do that the language is impossible to learn."

"I can easily teach you, you know this," Orion pouted at his Ghost, "and also, do you think it's not fair that Olkar learned our language but you put no effort into learning his?"

That's when Orion shifted his pink optics onto the Vandal, the latter of which returned the gaze. When Orion first met Olkar, he was instantly met with hostility. This in turn, caused Orion to have a certain disdain with the Vandal up until he had learned that he has formed a close bond with Trikxas during the previous years before Orion's resurrection. He had taken away Olkar's best friend and companion. As such, Orion had turned more empathetic and their hate towards each other turned into both a rivalry and friendship, the two treating each other with the upmost respect; if they are not bumping heads over their clashing opinions. Nonetheless, the Exo Titan knows there are truth in the female Ghost's words and couldn't help but let out a sigh of defeat, "Alright find, when we return to the Tower, we'll start on some lessons."

A small squeal of glee from the female Ghost was the response, causing the young Guardian to let out a quiet chuckle before he fixated his gaze back onto the front of his ship, recognizing the view of the Tower coming into his sights. Easing his ship close to the Hangar, Orion immediately released his grip on the controls of his jumpship and instantly, the familiar lightness of his body overwhelmed him alongside the white in his vision and then as soon as it had appeared, it vanished, signaling to Orion to plant his feet firmly on the floor. Shaking out his shoulders after the transmat, the Exo Titan glanced over in time to see Olkar land on his feet as well before Orion fixated his attention onto the other eight ships coming to land.

The first to land was Nova-11, a male Exo with violet plating and vibrant blue lights, the familiar black and blue heavy armor giving away of his class as a Titan. Being one out of two Defenders of the reborn Galaxy Clan, Nova has long patience until he had enough and explodes with emotions onto the unfortunate person who had set off his fuse. Known to be quiet and serious, Orion recalls Nova always stating that the mission needs to be accomplished whenever the others (including him) tend to fall out of line. Although Orion admits that it can be annoying at times, Nova's personality does help the other young Guardians keep focus.

Next was Cosmos-79, a female Exo with sky blues plates and orange lights, all of which were hidden by her white and red armor. A Striker like Orion, both he and Cosmos usually charge into the front, decimating any unfortunate enemies that came across their path. Like Orion, Cosmos is brash and acts before she thinks and sometimes this brings the rest of the group into trouble. Although this doesn't deter Cosmos' loyalty towards her team and her cheerful attitude towards everything around them, laughing at the smallest things. Her motto is, "Live your life while you have it."

Polaris-13 is the second Defender of the team with gray plating and yellow optics and adorned in green and yellow armor. Unlike Nova who keeps a calm exterior, Polaris is more open and likes to crack jokes whenever he gets the chance. Like Cosmos, he attempts to live life at its fullest and keeps an optimistic light around everything around him. This however does not mean he will not turn serious when the situation comes to it, especially if it comes to the well-being of his fellow clan mates.

Scorpio-18 and Gemini -32 are a unique duo of the Clan as they are twin Exo, their matching blue plating and light blue lights giving it away instantly. Practically the same with the exception of their gender, their matching black and orange armor and cloaks only made it harder to differentiate between the pair. How and why they were made identical remains unknown but this doesn't stop the two from traversing the wilds, as such their Hunter instincts. With matching views on the world as a playground and with a keen interest of finding out the secrets of the world followed by turning everything into a joke, the only difference the two have are their numbers and their light; Scorpio prefers Solar while as Gemini prefers Arc.

Up next to land after the twins was Io-63, the third Hunter of the Newborns. A black Exo with white lights, Io adorns himself in different shades of brown and green of the wilds to help himself blend in with his surroundings. Wielding solar light, Io is the best sniper of the group (much to the chagrin of Scorpio and Gemini) and as such is always seen in the back giving support to the others. Keeping a stoic exterior, if one breaks down Io's walls, many will find out he is actually quite gentle and prefers the non-violent approach. Although this doesn't stop him from putting a bullet into an enemy's head if worse comes to worse.

Cordelia-22 landed after Io. The lone Warlock of the group, the female Exo adorned herself in black and yellow robes giving her more of a regal look while hiding her vibrant pink plates and neon green lights. Like many Warlocks, she is highly curious and is prone to ranting on and on unless stopped. Although impatient and short tempered, Cordelia is the one who always suspects things first and always asks questions, much to Orion's chagrin.

Finally, the last to land was Meteorite-33 or Met for short, the youngest of the group and the most timid. A female Exo with gray plating and green lights, Met's tall stature is only made more obvious by her violet and black armor, her form easily towering over the rest of the newborns. A Striker like Orion, the male Exo was surprised by Met's pacifism, actually seeing the young Exo break down when it came to her fighting a simple Devil Dreg. In the end, Orion keeps a close eye on the youngest of the group, especially during dangerous encounters.

Counting the heads of the Galaxy Clan members to ensure everyone was present, Orion nodded his head once before motioning with his hands for everyone to follow before heading up the stairs and out into the Plaza, watching their Ghosts spiral around their heads and hearing their small squeals of delight as some of them played a game equivalent to what Trikxas called 'tag'. Soon, the Ghosts too preoccupied in their game, the small AI wandered away from their Guardians, zooming around the Plaza which in turn caught the attention of other Ghosts, most of which had decided to join in the game.

"What do you think Pluto is doing out in the Cosmodrome?" It was Cordelia's voice who rang in amongst the group, immediately gaining the attention of the other Exo. Orion groaned at her question as the Warlock added, "I mean, I know we had been there plenty of times but an experienced Guardian like Pluto going to a simple place like that? Doesn't that make you think?"

"Well obviously yeah," Polaris shrugged, "But what can we do? It's not like we can expect him to tell us everything. Especially considering his age."

"But that doesn't make me stop wondering," Cordelia hummed out, "I mean, I know he goes off and hangs out with his Fireteam but there are other times when he just leaves on his own."

"What do you mean?" asked Scorpio.

"I decided to investigate one day," the Warlock puffed out her chest, as if proud of her accomplishment, "so one day, when Pluto claimed that he was going to meet Fireteam Redacted, I followed."

Instantly, Orion snapped his gaze towards the female Exo, "You didn't."

"Yes I did," Cordelia beamed, "and instead of heading to the Hall of Guardians like he had claimed, he instead went to the Hangar and took off in his ship. Alone."

"Did you follow him?" It was Nova who asked the question, curiosity in his optics.

"Unfortunately, no." Cordelia smiled sheepishly at the disappointed stares she received, "But I did go to Akiva for answers."

"Wait, why the fuck did you go to Akiva for answers?" Gemini asked.

That's when the female Exo winked, "I offered him a drink."

"You guys are going to get me in trouble," Orion groaned as he shook his head, hearing the chorus of laughter from the younger Guardians as Cordelia added, "Hey, you know that Akiva gets slightly loose lipped if he gets a few drinks in."

Orion gave the younger Guardian blank stare, "You do realize that if Pluto figures out what you did to gain this information that he won't be happy."

"Not if he doesn't figure it out," Gemini teased, causing Orion to let out another groan as the female Warlock continued her story, "Anyway, although he was drunk, it was hard to get him to answer many of my questions since his Ghost was present."

"Welp, the curse having a forever partner."

Cordelia laughed at Polaris' comment, "Anyway, the one thing I did manage to get from Akiva was that there is a living Warmind hidden in the Cosmodrome."

"Wait!" Everyone's attention was now on the female Warlock, "A Warmind? Alive!?"

Cordelia nodded, "Its name is Rasputin from what I managed to get from Akiva. After that, he drawled on about how Pluto and three other members of Fireteam Redacted went into his bunker and came back alive." While her teammates stared at her in awe at their Clan Leader's accomplishments, the female Warlock then hummed to herself, "Although there's something about one part of the story that didn't make any sense to me."

"Like what?" Cosmos chirped, her orange optics beaming as Cordelia continued, "Well, from what I could understand from Akiva, he talked like as though they met up with someone inside Rasputin's bunker."

Scorpio gave the Warlock a bewildered look, "And that is strange how?"

"Well, from what Akiva said, Rasputin is hostile towards 'trespassers'." The female Exo answered, "So someone already inside Rasputin's bunker doesn't really make sense to me."

Gemini shrugged, "Maybe they were a Guardian who had somehow snuck past Rasputin's defenses? It must happen now and again."

Cordelia placed her fingers to her chin and hummed once more, "True. Maybe you're right. Guardians like Pluto and the others must be able to bypass Rasputin's defenses everyone now and then."

"It is not easy as you think, newborn."

Immediately, the group of Newborns came to pause and all eyes locked onto a nearby Titan, which wouldn't have out of the norm if it wasn't for the fact that said Titan's armor was adorned in various pieces of Vex armor, the copper pieces easily sticking out against the gray plates. When the younger Guardians had come to a pause, the Titan tilted his head as if to observe the group, the earie glow of the Vex Eyepiece fixated onto his helmet causing a wave of unease to spread amongst the young Exo.

"And who are you supposed to be." Polaris' bright tone was quickly replaced with one of caution and distrust, his yellow optics narrowing at the strange Titan, "and what the fuck is with all that armor?"

If any of the clan members were at first not disturbed by the Titan's Vex armor, the way the single Vex eyepiece on his helmet seem to glow menacingly at the young Exo's question immediately change that, "I am Alexander, one who has walked out of the Vault."

"The what?" Orion gave the Guardian a puzzled look, only to snap his gaze towards Cordelia who had let out an audible gasp, "Do you know what is it, Cordelia?"

"I only heard stories but," The female Exo let out a single nod, "He's talking about the Vault of Glass, described as the 'Vex Underworld' by the Ishtar collective."

"Vex Underworld!?"

A single snort snapped the attention of the younger Guardians back towards Alexander, the latter of which had crossed his arms and tilted his head at the newborns, as if observing them, "Pluto-99 made a mistake on trying to revive the Galaxy Clan."

Almost immediately, Orion's pink optics narrow at the older Titan, "Excuse me?"

"There is a reason why the Clan died out 'years' ago, newborn," Alexander added, "Time dictated that their time in this world has ended. Trying to revive it will only repeat the tragedy."

"Wait, are you saying that 'we' are going to fail?" Orion took a step forward, anger flaring in his optics, "what makes you think-"

"Time cannot be changed, newborn," Orion paused at the older Guardian's words, "unless Pluto had went to the source of time itself. Where the vortex of time meets and convolute into its source."

Seeing the eyepiece on the Titan's helmet brighten once more, Orion reflexively reached to his hand cannon on his side, only to jump when the familiar rumble of Olkar rumbled in his auditory receptors. He had nearly forgotten the male Eliksni was present with the younger Guardians. Nonetheless, if Alexander had seen the threatening gesture, he made no show of it as he continued, "It makes sense, how else would have Pluto succeeded, at least momentarily, in reviving an old clan that had been doomed to die out, especially he himself is the last of the original. Just needs some 'time', time that the previous clan did not have."

"You going to keep talking cryptically or are you going to tell us the Darkness you are talking about?" Orion muttered, his grip on his weapon tighten; if the Titan even takes a step forward towards him and the others, he will shoot. The Cyan Exo doesn't care about the rules of pointing weapons at other Soldiers of Light, he 'will' do it.

Alexander chuckled, his light laughter sending chills down Orion's spine, "Is it not obvious, newborn? Pluto-99 have met with the Vex and taken some 'time' from them, giving him the success to revive his old clan."

"That's preposterous," Orion heard Cordelia sputtered out, "Gaining more time? From the Vex? What a crazy idea-"

"Do you know how many years it has been since the Galaxy Clan had 'recruited' more into their ranks?" Alexander asked, gaining a glare from the female Warlock he continued, "Not since the tragic murder of one of their own soon followed by a memory wipe of one of their 'precious' members, back before the time of the Great Disaster. Eons, decades, centuries. And then all of a sudden, we have 'this'." The Titan held out his hands towards the newborns, "Exo started popping left up and right who claim to not 'remember' their names and recruited into this so called 'rebirth' of a dead clan." Alexander then leaned in as he added, "Doesn't that sound a tad bit suspicious to you?"

"Alexander."

Hearing a new voice ring throughout the Plaza, all eyes turned towards the familiar figure of Matt, the retired Guardian narrowing his brown eyes at the older Titan, "Are you spouting nonsense again?"

It was then Alexander let out a snort as he straightened himself out and crossed his arms, "This 'nonsense' could be 'fact', Matheson."

"Name is 'Matt' now, 'Alex'." The Medic spat, posturing his shoulders more rigid and his posture tall; an attempt to intimidate the taller Guardian, "Now if you please, leave these Newborns alone, they have just returned from a tiring mission and I do believe that they would like to return to their quarters."

Alexander let out a scoff but nonetheless gave the Newborns one last glance before turning around and walking away. As soon as the Titan was out of sight, Orion let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding before turning his pink optics towards the human Medic, "Thanks Matt, if he had spoken anymore, I don't know what I would have done."

"You would do 'nothing'." Orion gave the medic a bewildered look, "Look, I know you are confident in your abilities, Orion, but Alexander, Alexander is 'unique'. He had walked into the Vault and 'walked out'."

"And from what I can tell, he left his mind back there," Polaris murmured and Orion couldn't but snicker at his fellow Exo's words. Matt didn't seem amused, "I am just saying that 'anyone' who survives the Vault of Glass are powerful and most do not come back with their minds 'intact'." Matt then walked over and placed a hand onto Orion's shoulder and when the young Titan looked into the retired Guardian's eyes, he could easily see concern in the brown hues, "Do not cause trouble, newborn. 'All' of you have to be careful, especially outside of this Tower."

The cyan Exo gave Matt another puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

That's when the young Exo saw hesitation in the Medic's eyes, the way his hand gripped his shoulder tighter letting a sense of dread grow in Orion's chest, "Have you being hearing the rumors of your clan, Orion?"

"What?" That was an answer enough to the retired Guardian's question, "Do you think that Alexander is the only one who thought of a 'conspiracy theory' to the Galaxy Clan's resurrection? Many were shocked that after so many years, there are now Exo who have no recollection of their names being reborn and are being recruited into the 'Galaxy'." Matt paused, his brown eyes glancing at each face of the younger Guardian's before fixating his attention back onto Orion, "Many are even saying that Pluto made a bargain with the Darkness to bring you all back."

"Lies!" The shout escaped the young Exo's lips before he could stop himself, watching Matt take a step back from his sudden outburst, feeling the Medic's hand leave his shoulder, "Pluto would never do that! We were all born just like the others! We were all coincidental!"

"Orion-" Matt started.

Glaring at the retired Guardian, Orion glanced over his shoulder to the newborns, "Let's go." With that, the cyan Exo brushed past the Medic, listening to the footfall of the others follow behind him. The once cheerful and curious air of the younger Exo had long ago fallen and the air had filled with a sense of foreboding and doubt, to the point where Orion even shifted nervously as he lead the younger Guardians to their quarters.

"Is it true?"

Orion paused, hearing the other footsteps pause behind him before he turned and his pink optics locked onto Met's, her green optics filled with worry and distress as she stuttered out, "That we were really created from 'borrowed' time, that Pluto made a deal with…'something' to bring the Clan back?"

Orion hated to admit it, but he hesitated, doubt lingering in the back of his mind at the youngest Exo's words. It made sense after all. Not long after Orion's rebirth, practically every month a new member of the Clan stumbled into the Tower and into Pluto's arms. After many years of nameless Exo resurrections at a standstill, why is it that they were born just a month apart from each other and so suddenly?

"We are 'not' a product of a deal."

Snapping back into reality, Orion turned his pink optics towards Io, the black Exo's white optics narrowing at Met as he continued, "So what if our birth was sudden? The activity of the Hive was though dead until several years ago when a newborn Guardian discovered an entrance deep into the caverns in the moon where the Hive lurked. Or the Fallen raids against the city thought to have ended until only a year ago. 'We' are no different."

"I agree!" It was Cosmos who spoke up, her words echoing amongst the group as soon as Io finished speaking. Turning her attention onto the rest of the Exo, she continued, "Why are we attacked as being 'different' when there are so many other coincidences happening all around us? Is it because we are 'Guardians'? That we are 'Exo'? Or is it because everyone actually thought that clan as dead, that there was no possible way it be brought back? So they wanted an excuse, a 'reason' why the clan is so active again." Giving the others a comforting smile, Cosmos reiterated, "Just like what Io said, we are 'not' a product of a deal."

That's when Orion sensed the lingering doubt dissipate around him, actually seeing some of the younger Exo's shoulders relax, their optics showing relief. However, the older Exo wasn't convinced. It shouldn't be 'that' be simple of an answer and as such, Orion continued to lead the others towards the Galaxy Clan Quarters, remaining quiet even when Trikxas returned to his side, her single pink optic eyeing him worriedly as one question echoed in the back of his mind.

Are we a product of a 'deal'?

Xxxxx

In honesty, Sun never told 'anyone' of their soft spot for Ianos. The reason was not because they didn't want to, it was because they never 'have' to. For Sun, it had always been obvious they had cared for the younger Guardian, mainly for the reason that they had taken on the habit of calling the Warlock, 'Little Light'. It was a trend started by Neptune, the Exo Warlock have given him the little 'nickname' in order to help the then nameless Awoken find some comfort in having a 'title'. As such, before he was given the name 'Ianos', everyone had started calling him 'Little Light', with the exception of those outside of the clan. The Awoken Warlock had made it clear that he wanted no one else except the Galaxy to call him by that name. With this in mind, the trend continued on even now, when Sun had let slip of calling Ianos, 'Little Light', despite their best efforts in trying to call him by his 'true' name now. Nonetheless, Sun can still see the doubt linger behind Carina's visor, and as such, let out a shrug, "If you do not believe me, you do not have to. But I am telling the truth."

"You claim that you had met Ianos 'before' the two of you even had names?" Carina asked, earning a nod from the older Exo, "Pfah, sounds ludicrous to me."

Giving the younger Exo a blank look, Sun shook their head before continuing down the hall, causing the female Exo to follow, "Wait, aren't you going to tell me more?"

That's when the orange Exo heaved out a sigh, "You just said that you didn't believe me about Ianos and me meeting back when Guardians were called the Risen."

"That's because the two of you meeting back when there was no City? Back when Guardian deaths were at its highest because of Warlords and factions wars? And somehow the two of you meet 'again' like hundreds of years later?" Carina scoffed, "I just don't buy it."

Once again, Sun gave the young Exo a blank look, "I would say ask Ianos but that wouldn't help the situation any better."

Carina gave the Ex-Guardian a puzzled look, "The reason?"

"He doesn't know that the first Guardian he had met in his younger years was me," Sun paused at the shocked expression on Carina's face, "I thought you said you didn't believe me."

"I don't!" The female Exo exclaimed, "It was just a twist that I wasn't expecting!"

Blinking several times at the younger Guardian, Sun couldn't help but let a smirk fade onto their features, "Yes, right." Hearing the female Titan let out a huff made Sun's smile broaden as she spoke, "How the fuck you knew that it was Ianos when you met him 'again' but yet he didn't recognize you?"

"Easy," Sun then pointed at their head, "Helmet."

That's when it was Carina's turn to give the Ex-Guardian a blank stare, "Don't fucking tell me the reason why he doesn't recognize you is because you kept your helmet on while he kept his off?"

Sun snorted, "What? You want me to stay that 'both' of us had our helmets off and that he has bad memory?"

"That's even worse."

"Then I'm going to stick to 'my' story then," Sun ignored the glare they received from the younger Exo, "I found Ianos being attacked by Fallen when he was just a Newborn. Seeing him in trouble, I simply just used my light and incinerated them all. It was easy and simple." The orange Exo then shrugged, "After that, I helped him set up camp and he had removed his helmet to gain a better sense of his surroundings. After a short talk, I escorted him to the nearest settlement." Sun paused when he heard Carina let out a small huff, "What? Disappointed?"

That's when the orange Exo felt Carina's eyes on them, the smaller Titan staying momentarily silent before she admitted, "When I heard stories of both you and Ianos, I expected the two of you to have met on like, you know? 'Epic' terms?"

Sun blinked, "Excuse me?"

Carina heaved out a frustrated sigh, "Like you know? One of you two surrounded by Fallen, clearly outnumbered and when hope seemed lost, the other jumps in and saves the day!" She paused, letting the sound of their footsteps fill the silence before she added, "You know what I mean?"

Momentarily silent, it was then Sun let out a laugh, uncaring if the sudden action startled the younger Exo or not. They could not help it, the words of the younger Guardian somehow just seemed funny to the Ex-Guardian. Slowly regaining their composure, Sun couldn't help but chuckle at the glare they received from behind Carina's visor, "My apologies, young light, but what you had just described is equivalent of a fairy tale to many Veteran Guardians, especially those who had made it through the Dark Age."

Hearing the female Exo heave out a sigh, Carina then shook her head, "So say that I believe your story? You met Ianos back before you had names. That doesn't explain why you treat him with the respect that you do not give to other organics."

That's when the smile faded from Sun's features, letting silence once again fill the air between the two, "I don't know."

Carina gave Sun an incredulous look, "What? That's just an-"

"Pluto and Neptune simply brought him with them when we gathered near the edge of the City," Sun interrupted, "I instantly recognized him once he removed his helmet but I let myself remain anonymous when I realized he didn't know who I was. After that, he just intermingled with the Clan and everyone just warmed up to him. We all got attached." They then paused, "I got attached."

They then let out a chuckle, their eyes glowing with warmth as they continued, "He didn't care that we were Exo, he didn't care that we were made of metal and wires. And he didn't care that he couldn't be part of the clan. As long as he was with us, he was happy." Sun heaved out a sigh of content, "He called us his 'family'." They then turned their attention towards Carina and gave her a gentle smile, "Do you know what he called me back when the Clan was still alive?" When he gained a simple shake of the head as a response, Sun continued, "He called me 'Bibi', a gender neutral term for 'aunt' or 'uncle'." Another gentle chuckle escaped the Ex-Guardian, "He claimed to have read it in a book, saying it fits me since he couldn't never figure out if I was male or female." They then shook their head, "I told them I didn't care. Man or a woman, I told him to call me whatever he sees fit. After that, he still called me Bibi."

"What happened?"

No sooner had Carina's question echoed into their audio receptors is when the smile on Sun's face fell, their grip on their weapon tightening as their mind flooded back to the past. Images of 'Little Light' standing alongside a yellow Exo with orange lights, the two of them talking sporadically before the two of them waved and the echoes of them visiting the City floated into the back of their mind. Then screams and sobs echoed throughout Sun's mind, causing them to shake their head and place a hand on the side of their head, earning a bewildered look from the younger Guardian.

"You alright?"

"I wish I can tell you," Sun muttered as they lowered their hand, earning a puzzled look from the female Exo, "but it's something you have to ask Little Light to learn the 'whole' story."

Although the orange Exo couldn't see through the female Titan's visor, they can easily sense the pout emanating behind it, "But he doesn't tell me 'anything'."

Sun couldn't help but give the younger Exo a smirk, "Patience is a virtue."

"Bah!"

Laughing at the younger Exo's antics, Sun's face suddenly turned serious when Rasputin's voice suddenly rang through the hall. However unlike before, the tone sounded frantic and nervous and Sun instantly knew why.

"The Taken are in the Core Room!" They shouted as the Titan went into a dead sprint, startling the younger Exo before they heard the familiar rushing footsteps following behind them. Seeing the door come into view, Sun quickly holstered their weapon onto their back before swinging their hand back, the familiar solar light solidifying in their hands before they tossed the hammer at the entrance. The familiar explosion rang through the air followed by the sound of metal screeching from the impact, the orange Exo dashed through the broken entrance and into the Core Room. Then without hesitation, they started throwing. Hammer after hammer cascaded into the room, Sun immediately changing the trajectory of the hammers towards its intended target if they ever shifted positions. The screams and agonized cries of the Taken reached Sun's auditory sensors but their focus was on Rasputin's core, the orange Exo glancing over on occasion to ensure their hammers being tossed a safe distance from the Warmind. Hearing the sound of gunfire soon following after them and the cries of the Taken echoing through the air, Sun can only conclude that Carina was now in the room with them. As such, performing one final toss, Sun let the solar light die around their body before opting for their weapon, immediately aiming their auto rifle and firing into the nearest Taken – a Knight – the latter of which let out a shrill cry as bullets penetrated its black and white form. Hearing his weapon click from an empty clip, instead of reloading, Sun instead dashed forward, sending solar light into their fist before slamming it into the Knight's head, hearing it let out one final scream before disappearing into a swirling vortex of darkness. Readying themselves for the next opponent, Sun twirled around when they felt a tap on their shoulder, aiming their weapon at the foe who had made physical contact.

"Darkness! Easy! It's me!" Recognizing Carina's voice, Sun quickly lowered their weapon, their expression apologetic as the female Titan shook out her shoulders as she held her shotgun in her hands, "Traveler, no need to be so tense. You cleared the room after all." She then held out one hand and gestured towards the now empty Core room, as if to empathize her words, "I understand you care for Rasputin and all but fuck, don't shoot everything that moves."

Fixating their yellow optics onto the younger Exo's visor, Sun remained momentarily silent before responding, "Habit." They then turned their attention back towards Rasputin's core, slowly making their way towards it before coming to a pause, "Any sign of corruption?"

The Warmind's voice then echoed through the room, causing Sun to let out a sigh of relief, "Good, he hasn't been touched yet." They then turned their focus back onto Carina, "Now all we have to do is fortify our positions and hold the Taken back."

"Alright, finally," Carina beamed, "Now I can finally gain a proper challenge." She then paused, turning her violet optics towards Rasputin's core, "Although shouldn't we put protection around Rasputin's core?"

Sun gave the younger Exo a blank look, "Rasputin's core is as large as this room, young light. There is 'nothing' in this room that will offer Rasputin any protection."

Listening to the female Titan hum momentarily to herself, Sun watched her perk up, "Oh I know! We should put a Ward of Dawn around it!"

Glancing back and forth between the core and the younger Titan, the orange Exo let out as shrug before motioning with their gun towards Carina, "Be my guest."

That's when Sun saw the younger Exo snap her attention back onto the older Titan, "Uh, can't you do it?"

Sun paused, "Can you not summon a Ward of Dawn?"

"Not properly," Sun could hear the frustration in her voice before she continued, "But 'you' can right? Especially with your age, you should have at least mastered void. Or at least able to summon the Ward?"

That's when the orange Exo sputtered, taking few steps back at the younger Exo's words, "What makes you think that I can summon a Ward of Dawn?"

Carina paused, "Wait what? But you have solar light. You should have at least 'one' other type of light right? Void perhaps?"

That's when Sun shook their head, giving the younger Titan an exasperated look as they stated, "Young light, I understand where you are coming from but I 'cannot' access void light." The orange Exo then took in a deep breath, "I am a naturalborn."

"A what?"

Sun gave Carina another blank look, "Do not tell me that after all these years during my absence that they fail to teach new Guardians about the 'naturalborn'." When they gained a sheepish shrug as an answer, the Ex-Guardian heaved out a sigh as they shook their head, "As you know, every Guardian is supposedly born with the capability of wielding two different lights. Titans: Arc and Void, Hunters: Solar and Arc, and Warlocks: Solar and Void. Then there are the lights of old, which only Veteran Guardians such as Pluto and Ianos can attain through years of mediation and experience 'and' if they want, can pass it down to younger Guardians if they show capability. Understand?" When they gained a nod from the female Exo, Sun took it as a sign to continue, "It was thought that the lights of old can only be attained through training and hard work, however, several years after my 'birth', it has been discovered that there are Guardians naturally born with these 'lights of old' and as such, is able to wield these lights with ease with little to no training and are considered more powerful than their counterparts."

"But I am guessing there is a downside?"

Sun gave Carina a single nod, "Naturalborn Guardians, although have the capability to wield the lights of old as soon as they are born, have the handicap of only attuning to that 'one' light." Seeing the younger Exo's shoulders go rigid in shock, Sun continued, "Although this handicap is quickly overwhelmed by the naturalborn's talent with their light and are capable of wielding them in ways that other Guardians will never be able to grasp?"

"Such as your ability to move the hammers in the air?"

Sun once again nodded at Carina's words, "Took years of practice but it was worth the training, especially against agile enemies such as the Fallen." Then fixating their yellow optics back onto Rasputin's core, Sun let out a frustrated sigh, "Although at this moment, I would like more than anything to be able to attune to void light to bring your plan to fruition."

Hearing a snort emit from the female Exo, Sun snapped their attention back onto the female Exo, "Well, without void light, I guess we'll just have to compromise." Watching Carina turn her attention towards the entrance of the core room, Sun saw her sheathe her shotgun onto her back before slamming her fists together, sparks of arc light crackling around her arms as she added, "I like doing it the old fashion way anyway."

That's when Sun heard the familiar screams of an orb of darkness being summoned, prompting them to scan their surroundings for all the entrances before checking to see if their clip in their weapon was full. Just like what Carina had said, they will just have to compromise. With that, Sun aimed their weapon at the forming Taken.

* * *

 _Alexander belongs to RedXEagl3_

 _RedXEagle3_ _\- I apologize for the long wait. Had trouble finding a spot in my story for your character up until now _ ._

 _Anyways, more ocs will make an appearance in the next chapter (I actually had planned for them to appear in this one but like I said, length lol)_

 _Anyways, yes, I do head cannon that there are Guardians who are naturally born with one of the three 'Lights of Old' and can only attune to that 'one' light (although you have to admit, there are a lot of players in Destiny who seemingly do that, I swear _ )._

 _Enjoy!_


	35. Saved

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Saved**_

 _Late update as always lol. Anyways, this chapter is pretty short compared to the previous ones (although not as short as the first few chapters) but don't worry, next week, I am planning a double update. One chapter will be a Halloween Special and the second will continue on and (hopefully) finish up the Rasputin Arc.  
_

 _Thanks to Ali for the review! _

_Ali -_ _I didn't really have a fixed look for him in the beginning of the chapters (He was still like 200 light level back in 320 cap and as such I didn't have a good idea on what most of the gear looked like). But if I remember correctly, when he finally reached 330 (during 335 cap) I made him wear Iron Companion gear, with the exception of the helmet which he wore Obsidian Mind, if that helps lol. And I'll try and incorporate your character into the story, although it may take a bit._

* * *

He was being followed.

Pluto had sensed three lights just moments ago when he had reached the Forgotten Shore. At first he thought the trio were just another group of Guardians patrolling the Cosmodrome but after speeding his Sparrow past the ships and down an archway of stone, the three lights kept a steady pace with him. He 'cannot' let them see him enter Rasputin's Bunker, especially with ease. As such as soon as Pluto's Sparrow turned a corner, the blind Exo leaped off and raised one of his hands as he let void light solidify in his grip. Then no sooner had his feet landed on the ground, he tossed the smoke grenade beneath him and instantly, he felt a tingling sensation flow over his body, feeling the smoke cling onto his armor like a second skin. No sooner had this occurred when Pluto ran and skidded into a corner, pressing himself into the crevice as the familiar sound of Sparrow Engines rang in his ears. The blind Exo waited until three familiar sounds of the small vehicles reached his auditory receptors before feeling a breeze sweep past him, his cloak billowing around him as the Hunter listened to the sound of the three Sparrows fading into the distance. This signaled to Pluto to slide out of his hiding place and summon his own Sparrow, quickly jumping on and heading back towards the graveyard of ships. He prays that that the simple trick will be enough to give him time to enter Rasputin's Bunker unseen. As such, he clamped down on the levers on the handles of his Sparrow, feeling the vehicle jerk forward from the motion.

Letting Nix's scans fill his vision with the familiar form of the rustic ships, Pluto raced past the surviving Devil Eliksni, hearing their screeches of surprise and frustration as he sped past them. Forcing his Sparrow up a hill, Pluto immediately reached for his sniper as his ride entered the building before leaping off and jumping down the stairs. Wincing as his feet landed onto solid ground, Pluto rushed over where Nix's scans showed him the console and quickly started inputting the code. It was a 'gift' from Sun after they had given his team aid on finding Ixrsis several years ago and thanks to this, the blind Exo was able to 'visit' his old clan Leader, mainly to catch the Ex-Guardian up to date and for aid on leading the reforming clan. However, as soon as he finished punching in the buttons and he heard the familiar hiss of the doors come to life, that's when the Exo Hunter felt a barrel of a gun press against the back of his helmet.

"Move and a bullet enters your head."

Hearing this, Pluto couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, letting his arms fall to his side as two pairs of footsteps approached his sides.

"Nice," Nix's scans showed a Hunter, the familiar insignia of the sun imprinted on the front of his helmet as he let out whistle, "If I would have guess, you have some pretty good hacking abilities, my friend."

"Except 'no one' hacks Rasputin." A Warlock was on Pluto's opposite side, the familiar feathered helmet entering the blind Exo's black and white vision, "As such, I am curios as how you 'hacked' his code so easily, if you can call it that."

"I am guessing the Vanguard sent you," Pluto sensed the annoyance from the female Warlock, "Makes sense considering that anything to do with Rasputin they always have to push their noses into it."

"They have a reason to suspect that Fireteam Redacted have something to hide," The female Guardian retorted, "as such they sent us to figure out what."

"And it so happens that when we landed, we spotted 'you' heading towards the Forgotten Shore which happens to be Rasputin's main way of entry," The Guardian behind him commented. Synthetic. Exo. And Titan from the scans that Nix sent to his optics, "So, care to explain 'why' you are standing here at the entrance to enter Rasputin's Bunker, and with such ease?"

That is where Pluto remained silent, Nix's constant scans showing that the other two Guardians already have their weapons raised, readying themselves if the blind Exo were to do anything sudden.

" _Pluto?"_

Nix's voice rang through Pluto's helmet and the blind Hunter couldn't help but curl his hands into fists, his arms quivering as his mind shifted through 'years' of experience on what to do. He didn't want to be a traitor but neither does he want to give away Sun's survival.

" _Whatever you do and whatever happens, do it for your 'own' sake,"_ Sun's voice rang throughout Pluto's head, " _do not worry about me when it comes to your own safety."_ The image of the orange Exo giving Pluto a smile remains clear in his mind, " _After all, death has already marked me."_

That's when the Blind Exo shoulder's sagged in defeat, startling the three Guardians as he muttered out, "Fuck me."

With that, a familiar smoke bomb formed in his hands and he tossed it to the floor, immediately filling up the room with the substance. Then he turned dodged forward, feeling his body melt around him before the familiar sensation of fog draped over his shoulders as he rolled, hearing one of the three Guardians curse as Pluto pushed himself back onto his feet; a sign that he successfully evaded out of their little 'circle'. Hearing the familiar clicks of their weapons refocusing their aim, Pluto took it as an opportunity to dash into the entrance of Rasputin's bunker, leaping down the stairs and down the hall he had taken several times before. However, as his scans entered his optics, Pluto couldn't help but stumble as felt his body go heavy, as if something was just dropped upon his shoulders and latched themselves to his body. Just as suddenly as he felt encumbered, that's when his vision went black, the white lines blinking away out of his vision.

"Darkness," Pluto breathed out before heavy footsteps reached his auditory sensors. Instinctively the blind Exo reached for scout rifle on his back but before his fingers could even wrap around the handle of his gun, pain shot through his right arm and Pluto couldn't help but let out a scream. Before the agony could fully register, he felt a force hit him in the chest, sending him sprawling onto his back.

"Pluto!"

Hearing Nix call out his name, Pluto attempted to push himself up, only to feel himself fall to his right side, his body screaming in protests as he rolled onto his chest. It was only then the Exo Hunter realized the absence of his right arm; and when the pain finally registered. Screaming out in agony, Pluto reached over with his left hand and press his palm against the wound, easily feeling the mess of wires and fluids spilling through his fingers. Not long after this revelation when a kick to the side interrupted the Exo Hunter's actions, Pluto hearing a 'crunch' as the attacker's foot easily penetrated through his leather armor. This action was enough to send the Exo through the air and land rather painfully before skidding across the floor and then coming to a slow halt.

"Nix. No." Pluto managed to groan out as he turned himself onto his back, easily feeling the tingling sensation of Nix pause mid transfer from his armor. The Exo Hunter can easily sense the agitation within his helmet emitting from the Ghost but at this point, Pluto would rather have the small AI safe than let Nix materialize into plain view of enemies just to tend to his wounds. It was then Pluto felt pressure press against his chest, causing the blind Exo to let out a wince as he felt his damaged plates shift and creak from the action. From what he can tell, the enemy was heavy and broad just from the weight on his chest but also slow from its footfalls earlier. Although this new information wasn't going to help him much at this point, especially when the blind Exo felt the Darkness shift and churn, as if it was building up around a singular point.

 _Is this it?_ Pluto thought to himself as he sensed the pressure in front of him continue to build, _is this how things are going to end for me?_

That's when the thoughts of the reborn Galaxy Clan flashed into his mind and Pluto couldn't but let out a choke at the thought of him leaving them behind. None of them were much older than a year old and Pluto was not naïve enough to ignore the dark rumors surrounding their resurrections. With his death, what was going to happen to the Newborns? Would they be able to make it without his guidance? What of the other Guardians? Would they accept the sudden rebirth of a once dead Clan? And what of the others of Fireteam Redacted? Little Light? And Sun?

"Traveler please, not like this," A whisper escaped Pluto's lips before he could stop himself and he could easily feel the heat of the built-up energy near his face now. Nix's voice rang in his auditory receptors now, the Ghost frantically telling him to do 'something' before sobs echoed through his helmet and Pluto couldn't help but feel defeated, his years of battle wearing him down. With him injured and his enemy locked down on him, chance of his survival was currently low. As such, the Exo Hunter closed his optics and waited for the inevitable.

"Hey fat ass! Over here!"

Pluto snapped his blind optics open before he felt the weight suddenly lift off his chest, enabling the Exo to take in a deep breath only to let out a groan as his broken side screamed in protest.

"Take it easy." Feeling a hand press against his wound, Pluto turned his attention towards his supposed savior, his auditory sensors easily listening to the sound of gunfire ringing off in the distance, "And here you three were going to shoot me just moments earlier."

The Exo Hunter then heard the female Warlock let out a scoff, "Look, we may have been hostile towards you earlier, but that doesn't mean we won't help a fellow Guardian in need, understand?"

Instead of immediately answering, Pluto paused, letting his blind optics blink behind his visor before he let out a single nod before sighing and laying his head back onto the floor, taking it as an opportunity to rest.

"Pluto?"

Sensing the familiar shift of the air around him, Pluto turned his blind gaze towards to what believes is to be his Ghost and giving Nix a smile behind his helmet, "I'm alive."

It was then an impact suddenly crashed into Pluto's helmet, causing the blind Exo to snap his head to the side to lessen the blow, "...Ow?"

"Don't give up so easily next time you bastard!" Nix shouted before he could hear the Ghost sob and then a gentle a tap soon followed the blind AI's words. A sheepish smile escaped Pluto soon after, "I'm sorry." He then paused, "Nix?"

Pluto then reached up and pressed the sealing underneath his helmet, tearing the piece of equipment off. He then tapped the side of his blindfold with his good hand before he delicately slipped his fingers underneath the white plating. No sooner had he tossed aside the piece of metal when his optics flickered to life, the once blind Exo squinting to rid the blurriness around the edges of his vision. At first dark, the contrast slowly faded and Pluto finally blinked several times to see the wired lights above him.

"So the rumors are true then, you can heal your eyes anytime you want."

Remembering the female Guardian beside him, Pluto turned his attention back to his wounded side and immediately his red optics locked onto the Warlock. Like what Nix's scans had shown him, the female Warlock wore a feathered helm, one that Pluto recognizes as one that helps pool light faster into fallen comrade's Ghosts to speed up the reviving process or the user to be revived more quickly. Back in his active Crucible days, Pluto had found the helmet an annoyance like no other. Alongside the helmet, she wore robes that held the insignia of the Queen, and after much bewilderment, Pluto let out a silent 'aaaah' at the realization of the past event when the Reef first opened. Both her helmet and robes were in shades of purple and black accented with lines of gold and white, which in Pluto's opinion, made the insignia stick out more against her coat. And finally, to finish off her look, her bond emitted void light, one that marked her as a Voidwalker.

"Yes," Pluto finally confirmed the Warlock's words in which the female Guardian followed with a question, "Why?"

A short chuckle was her answer, "If your Ghost went blind, wouldn't you do the same?"

The female Guardian went silent.

"Well, that's all of them!"

"How is he doing, Myra?"

Turning his gaze away from Guardian Myra, Pluto focused his attention on the two other Guardians, both of who knelt next to Exo Hunter's good side.

The Hunter had adorned himself in what Pluto recognizes as Trials of Osiris armor, right down to his cloak. The only exception were the bones trailing down his left arm, the spines of the Ahamkara immediately familiar in the Exo's sight. His armor shaded with gold and brown and accented with grey, Pluto can easily tell that this one is not so shy on flaunting his status, especially when it comes to the Crucible.

The broad form of the Titan came up next in Pluto's sight, the former has taken a seat next to the Hunter. His armor shaded in black and accented in green, the helm of Saint-14 became apparent in the Exo Hunter's optics. He will need to remember to ask his fellow Exo later on how he managed to attain that helmet.

"He's doing fine now," Pluto turned his attention towards Myra, only to pause when the familiar viridian form of Nix blocked his view instead, the latter of which beamed light into his wound, "you were lucky that we followed you in."

"Appreciate it." The Exo Hunter grunted.

"Although I want to ask is how the infamous 'Executioner' ran in here and got an ass-kicking from one Taken Knight."

"Malik."

"Oh come on Praxis," The Hunter turned to his Titan companion, "Do not tell me you are not curious either. The deadly Pluto – 99, renowned for never missing his headshots in the Crucible, to be taken down so easily?"

That's when Pluto noticed the Titan drum his fingers against his knees and this little action caused Malik to let out a snort, "I thought so."

"Well, excuse us," Pluto heard Nix fume, the blind Ghost continually beaming his light into the Exo Hunter's damaged arm, "I'm sorry if 'both' of us are blind and that the only way we can see is to send out waves of light which can be easily taken out by a large amount of Darkness."

"Wait," Pluto saw the Hunter fixated his attention back onto him, "So just because the darkness is prominent here, you can't see?"

"Not unless I turn my optics back on," Pluto replied, "Although as you can see it is a bit late for that." After speaking, the Exo Hunter laid his head back onto the floor, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Ah, my apologies," Nix's voice rang in Pluto's auditory receptors, "But my light alone wasn't enough to stop the fluid loss, I had to take some of yours to repair it." The Hunter then heard the Ghost pause, "I cannot heal you here completely, we have to get out of here."

"And not out here in enemy territory," Myra added, "Too risky. We have to take you back to the Tower."

"No." Pluto reeled back slightly at his own sudden response and his optics easily can see the Warlock lean back, startled by his outburst, "The rest of my team is in here, I can't leave them."

"The rest of Fireteam Redacted?" Praxis turned and gave his Hunter companion a bewildered look, "What are they doing here?" The Titan then paused, "Is that why you headed here?"

Instead of responding to the Exo Titan's questions Pluto instead pressed his good hand against the floor and with a grunt, pushed himself into an upright position, much to Nix's exasperation, "I have to get to the rest of my team. They're in trouble."

"Not in this condition you're not," Pluto felt the Warlock's hand grip his shoulder; this in turn caused the Exo Hunter to turn and narrow his optics at the female Guardian. Myra wasn't fazed. Instead she turned her attention towards the Hunter and Titan, "Praxis. Malik. Head deeper into Rasputin's bunker and see if you can find the rest of Fireteam Redacted. I will take Pluto back to the Tower."

"Understood," Praxis stated as he raised a hand to his head before reaching out and curling it into a fist while as Malik nodded once. Then before Pluto could let out a protest, both Guardians were already up on their feet and rushing down the hall, heading deeper into the bunker.

"They will able to handle things, do not ponder on it much," The Exo Hutner turned his red optics towards the female Warlock, the latter of which had stood up and changed to Pluto's remaining arm. She then leaned over and hooked her arm underneath his, letting the Exo Hunter use her as leverage to help him stand before he felt her wrap his arm around her neck and then wrapping her arm around his waist to gain a better grip.

Sensing Nix's steams of light coming to a pause, Pluto turned his gaze towards the Ghost, the latter of which now had his scans out, beaming it upon the pair; a sign that the viridian AI was ready to go. Pluto then turned his attention back to Myra, "Thank you."

Gaining a single nod as an answer, Pluto felt the female Warlock slowly guide him up the stairs. As they started making their way up, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but heave out a sigh. Although he is grateful on the save, Pluto knew eventually the Vanguard won't let this go. He 'will' have to answer questions, whether he wants to or not. That means revealing Sun's survival. Feeling the sense of dread build up in his chest, Pluto slowly contemplated on what to say once he meets the three Vanguard Guardians.

Xxxxx

"More here too?"

Gaia cursed silently under their breath before they glided back slightly to hide amongst the wires, their yellow optic sighting the twitching form of the Taken as they hid. They had long ago slid out of the safety of the vents but no matter where the gold and crimson Ghost goes, there was always Taken blocking their way to Rasputin's Core room. Without a body of a Guardian to give them safety, Gaia had little choice but to hide and find other ways around but so far, they have been making no progress. Whirling their back fins several times in agitation, Gaia pressed themselves against the wall and using the wires as a camouflage, started edging their way down the hall.

Now Gaia had been in near death situations, especially after finding Sun during the Dark Age. Narrowly dodging shock blade swipes from Vandals or twirling to the side only to feel the heat of an arc shot whizzing past their shell. Hiding behind cover as a group of Vex fired at Sun's dead body or having to press themselves into the cracks of Cabal armor after a failed hack into their systems. Or back on the moon during the Great Disaster, when Gaia convinced Sun to dodge behind some crumbled rocks, narrowly dodging a strike from Crota's sword, only to watch as the entity turned and used it on the rest of the clan. The gold and crimson Ghost had experienced near death situations but the only thing that they all have in common was not once had Gaia been hit; the closest as feeling the heat of energized bullets narrowly hitting their shell. As such, when the gold and crimson Ghost saw the eye of a Taken Psion staring at them through the cracks of the net of wires followed by the swirling skin of its gun pointing at them, they knew it was a hit they wouldn't be able to avoid.

When Gaia saw the swirl of darkness building up within the Taken Psion, the Ghost couldn't help but curl their shell closer to their core and shut their single optic, preparing themselves for the worst. However, just as soon as the Ghost felt the heat of the darkness finish building up, a screeching cry echoed through the air, causing Gaia to snap their single optic open in time to see the Taken Psion in front of them disappear into a swirl of black and white. Dumbfounded, Gaia quickly shook their shell when familiar hand cannon shots rang through the air and soon, the gold and crimson Ghost saw the familiar white and silver clad Hunter come into view, firing several more shots from his hand cannon before he rolled back, narrowly dodging Taken bullets.

"But how…"

"Miss us!?"

Gaia let out a startled yelp before snapping their optic towards their side, only to look in the green optic of Hope, the latter of which let out a playful giggle before she shifted her core once, "This way, you're more exposed to enemy fire here."

Watching the white and red Ghost glide around the wires, Gaia hesitated before jumping as a stray bullet pierced the wall beside them, prompting the gold and crimson Ghost to follow after Hope.

"Here we go." The female Ghost let out a hum as Gaia came to a slow stop next to her, "We should be safe here while Angel clears the room."

Glancing around to ensure the truth of the female Ghost's words, Gaia only gave Hope a blank stare once they were sure that the wires around them were tight enough to block enemy fire, "I thought I told your Guardian and the others that I can easily get to Rasputin's core myself."

This earned the crimson and gold Ghost a scoff from Hope, "Yeah, you 'totally' have that handled, right?"

Gaia's narrowed glance didn't seem to faze the female Ghost, "Look, I understand why you're so hesitant on trustin' 'us', especially with your history with organics, but Angel and the others couldn't help but worry of your safety once you left the room. So after a quick vote, Angel was picked to go after you."

"Is it because of his relation to the Fallen? That he could somehow 'convince' Sun and I to 'change' our ways?" Gaia muttered, only to reel back at the shake of the core from the white and red Ghost, "No, it is because he is faster than Aleeza and Akiva. After all, what's the best way to catch up to a Ghost than a swift Hunter." Gaia watched Hope chuckle before the Ghost continued, "You were lucky that we made it on time too. That Taken Psion almost got to you. I don't know how Sun would have reacted if they figured out you died."

"Horribly," Gaia responded immediately, watching the female Ghost blink once in response, "You should understand. After all, once a Ghost and a Guardian bond, they are pretty much 'one', their ties unbreakable. Now imagine what would happen if one or the other dies." The Ghost paused before they continued, "How would you react if your Guardian dies and you cannot revive them?"

That's when Gaia saw the female Ghost pause, her green optic blinking several times in contemplation as her gaze teetered downwards, as if finding the wires beneath them more amusing than the gold and crimson Ghost in front of her. Finally, after several moments of silence, Gaia watched Hope lift her gaze and lock onto their yellow optic, "I have heard from others that many Ghosts who have lost their Guardians move on to find others."

Gaia let out a scoff at the female Ghost's words, "And are you going to do that?"

Hope paused, "No."

"Now imagine your Guardian but unlike us, they do not have the option of finding another Ghost. They are forever stuck, alone, as a Soldier of Light with only one life." Gaia let out a snort because they paused, their yellow optic wandering around their little haven before they added, "Although each Guardian reacts differently, but I definitely know for sure Sun would react 'violently', especially towards organics."

Sensing the bewildered stare from the female Ghost, Gaia locked their yellow optic onto the white and red Ghost, "Sun and I have been through a lot together as you understand. And it came to my experience that the longer a Ghost and Guardian are linked the stronger their bond." The gold and crimson Ghost let out a light chuckle, "I mean, it makes sense after all. It is true that Guardians can live for many years, but through those years, they make comrades and as those years go by, they watch those comrades fall around them during battle. The only 'friend' that truly stays are their Ghosts, a companion that they spill all their worries too, a companion to come to advice, or just a companion just to talk to, letting the loneliness spill from their thoughts." Gaia then paused, as if contemplating their next words before they added, "Sun 'despise' organics to the point where they are willing to convince Rasputin to abandon mankind, to let it rot and their civilization to fall. The only reason they didn't was for Little Light." Another light chuckle escaped the Ghost, "But if I were to die, their only 'true' friend, then not even Little Light's life will spare humanity from Sun's wrath."

Silence then permeated between the two Ghosts, letting the sound of gunfire and the death throes of the Taken echo in the background.

"You two are 'that' close, eh?"

Gaia nodded slowly, earning a small chuckle from the female Ghost before she suddenly stopped, her tone serious as she stated, "Then don't worry, our team will ensure that both you 'and' Sun make it out of this encounter 'alive'."

That's when Gaia's yellow optic went wide, hearing the sincerity in the female Ghost's words, "You and your Guardian, you two really are willing-"

"You two alright in there?"

The human Hunter's voice rang clearly through the air, to the point where both Ghosts leaped away from the outermost layer of the net of wires, only for Hope to let out a light chuckle as she responded, "Yeah we're safe, all clear?"

"Yeah," Gaia can easily hear the 'click' of a hand cannon clip being inserted into the weapon, "Just took out the last of them." A sigh soon followed, "Those Taken Psions are an annoyance though, multiplying like there is no tomorrow."

A laugh easily can be heard from Hope before Gaia watched the Ghost materialize through the wires, hearing her on the other side as she spoke, "That's why Akiva and Aleeza picked you, you have a quicker hand to take them out."

Gaia then heard Angel laugh, "I think they just picked me because I'm light on my feet, Hope."

"That's what I mean."

Hearing the Ghost and Guardian chat nonchalantly, Gaia couldn't help but let their thoughts wander, comparing the pairs conversation with Sun and themselves. The Ghost remembers back when Sun's tone held the same light as the human Hunter's, although always holding a teasing tone whenever it comes to Gaia or with the other members of the clan, especially when they're playful mood. But now, although Sun still carries heavy loyalty towards their allies, the light tone was almost completely gone, replaced with heavy bitterness and hate towards mankind. Gaia wonders how much longer the Hunter's tone will remain light before it too disappears.

"Gaia? You still in there?"

Startled out of their thoughts, Gaia shook their core side to side several times before stating, "Yes."

"Then come on out! Angel just said that he's ready to escort you to the Core Room."

Twirling their back fins several times, Gaia zoomed towards the wall of wires, only to release their light into a short burst and not long after, the Ghost found themselves found Hope and Angel staring at them. With light still buzzing around the edges of their vision, Gaia watched as Angel held out two hands; one for Hope and one for Gaia to take refuge into his armor. Staring reluctantly at the palm welcoming them in, Gaia turned towards Hope only to reel back slightly when the female Ghost gave them a single wink before disappearing into Angel's armor. Confused and startled, Gaia instead focused their attention onto their light, flashing it around them before finding themselves looking at the Hunter's visor, giving them access to the Guardian's arsenal.

According to what the small Ghost sees, Angel currently was using a hand cannon, a sniper, and a machine gun; a typical Hunter's gear in Gaia's opinion. Currently Angel was attuned to arc light and his shields are fully powered and functional.

"Gaia?" The Ghost jumped within the Hunter's helmet, "Where to?"

Staying momentarily silent, Gaia then turned their attention towards the radar, marking the direction with a white arrow, "That way."

Watching the visor shift up and down to follow the action of a nod, Gaia watched Angel run down the hall, startled at how fast the Hunter closed the distance. Quickly changing the direction of the white arrow on the radar to ensure Angel kept the momentum, Gaia couldn't help but silently agree.

The Hunter is light on his feet.

* * *

 _Praxis-16, Malik, and Myra belongs to KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP_

 _I had planned to make this chapter longer to finish off this arc but the realization on how it was going to be made me cut it out into the next chapter. As such, the rest of the plan for your characters KGBBP, will have to be moved onto the next chapter._

 _Anyways, enjoy guys :D_


	36. Special: Festival of the Lost

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Special: Festival of The Lost_**

 _I know I said that it would be updated next week 'but' that was before my work schedule was posted up so...yeah. Today is the only time I have time to write out the special. For the next chapter of the arc, I will have to work on that 'after' work which isn't very much in time. As such, here is the special and I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Carina maybe older than Angel in terms of age, but this doesn't always mean the female Exo knows more than the human Hunter, especially when it comes to human customs such as holidays and traditions. As such, when the Exo Titan watched the Human Guardian unwrap the plastic and then pop what resembled a pebble into his mouth, Carina couldn't help but gawk as Angel chewed and swallowed.

"Did you just eat that?" She asked and almost immediately, she could feel the bewilderment in the human's gaze as he turned his green eyes towards her.

The pair were standing out in the plaza with Pluto, the latter of which had switched out his armor for a black under suit with a sleeveless shirt thrown on top. The only exception was his cloak although he left the hood down; a sign that the Exo Hunter was off duty. And he wasn't the only one. Like Pluto, both Angel and Carina were dressed in 'civilian' attire; the silver Exo was wearing an orange short sleeve shirt and black pants tucked into leather boots. Angel opted to wear a long sleeved brown shirt and white pants draped over some dark shoes; like Pluto he also has his cloak draped over his shoulders.

The three had ventured to the Plaza after Pluto had called the younger Guardians there, saying he had a 'present' for them and it was then that the Exo had tossed both Angel and Carina a small plastic bag filled with colored objects wrapped in plastic. And that is where the female Exo watched the human consume one of the colored pieces.

"Yes," Angel answered Carina's question, earning another wide-eyed look from the female Exo, "What? You never had candy before?"

"Candy?" Carina repeated as she turned her violet optics towards Pluto, only to reel back as the Exo Hunter too unwrapped the plastic from one of the objects and popped it into his mouth.

"It's for the Festival of the Lost," The older Exo stated, Carina watching him rotate his jaws before he paused; a sign that he had swallowed the pebble, "It's it time both a time for mourning for those we have lost and a time to celebrate their memory."

"And we celebrate with this 'candy'?" Carina pointed at the small bag she held in one hand, earning a nod from the Exo Hunter as he pulled out another piece from his own bag, "…Is it good?"

Pluto gave her a blank stare, "Why do you think I am eating it, young light?"

Carina paused at the male Exo's words, watching him pop another piece of 'candy' into his mouth. True, the female Exo enjoys the taste of food, always shoveling the sustenance into her mouth once she gets the opportunity. But she soon learned not all Exo share the same mindset. She had attempted to offer Pluto some food from her own plate one day when the team decided to dine together, mainly because when she saw a plate absent in front of the Exo Hunter, she had thought he lacked glimmer to afford his own meal. Instead, she was surprised to see the blind Exo reel back, immediately shoving her offered food back towards the silver Exo. At first offended, things only cooled down when Pluto explained he does enjoy the taste, the texture within his mouth was a whole other story and admitted that the sensation of sustenance slithering down his throat was uncomfortable. So, seeing the older Exo popping candy into his mouth like as though it was nothing, Carina couldn't help but take the Exo Hunter's words to heart. As such, she undid the string around her bag, pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapped the plastic around it and popped the pebble into her mouth.

Immediately, she was hit with a wave of sweetness hitting her inner sensors, sending a shock to spread through her body before her jaw shifted and placed the pebble between the grinders in her mouth. Thanks to the firm touch of the candy, she had expected a lot of resistance from the piece but instead was surprise to feel her artificial teeth to easily crush the pebble of sugar and felt the substance stick to the surface once she shifted her jaw to repeat the action. In the end, Carina had all but popped another into her mouth before she had even finished the first piece. Then another. And another.

"Traveler, Carina, slow down." It was Angel's voice that caused the female Exo to pause and turn her violet optics to stare at the human, "There's plenty to go around."

Carina blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice?" Angel gave the Titan a wide-eyed look, "All the vendors are handing out sweets even as we speak." The Hunter then motioned with a free hand towards their surroundings, pointing at the hanging paper engrams around them and the constant freefall of confetti falling around them, "It is a holiday. 'Everyone' is celebrating. Which means there is a constant flow of candy."

"Until the Festival of the Lost ends." Pluto stated before he popped another piece of sugar into his mouth, "As such, if I were you, I would either eat as much as you can or stock pile to make it last."

That's when Angel pause, "…Oh no."

Giving the young Hunter a bewildered look, Pluto opened his mouth to ask what was the matter only to stop when Carina suddenly latched onto Angel's free arm, causing the human Hunter to let out a yelp as he was dragged across the plaza.

"Let's do this!" Carina shouted, her voice drowning out the protests of the human Hunter.

Standing silently at this spot, Pluto only snapped out of it when he felt something bump into his head and when he turned his blind gaze towards the source, the scans revealed Nix, the Ghost twirling his back fins.

"Should we find Cayde?" Nix asked, "I believe this is the only time of the year where he can freely leave the Tower. I think he would appreciate it if he has one of his few surviving companions to come and hang around with him."

Popping another piece of candy into his mouth, Pluto then let out a shrug, "Only if he's willing to face me in the Crucible. Snipers allowed."

Xxxxx

When Eris Morn first occupied the Tower, many Guardians had a hard time reading her, especially with the three earie green eyes somehow glowing through her blindfolds. However, those who have known her 'before' her time within the Moon still can read her easily, despite her lack of previous 'features'. As such, when Ianos held out a piece of chocolate towards her, he can easily see the way her cheeks seem to sink into her mouth and her lips turned into a frown.

"What is this?" She demanded, as the Ex-Guardian backed away from the gift, as if it was poison to the touch.

That's when it was Ianos' turn to frown, "Don't pretend you do not know what it is, Eris. It's chocolate, your favorite."

This only seem to make Eris cower away from it, "What makes you think-"

"It's 'Unchocolate'."

Seeing the Ex-Huntress pause, the frown on her lips quickly dissipating, Ianos couldn't help but let a smirk flash onto his lips behind his helmet, "It may have been years Eris, but your taste in so called 'sweets' haven't changed." He snorted as he added, "Still giving out 'raisins' and 'celery' as usual."

"That is none of your concern." Eris hissed out but nonetheless, she delicately reached out and quickly snatched the piece of 'candy' from the Warlock's fingers, "And…Thank you, Ianos."

Giving the Ex-Guardian a single nod as a response, the male Awoken turned, rounded the corner, and headed up the stairs. As soon as he found himself out in the Plaza, Ianos scanned the skies for the familiar black and orange shape of Ace, only to shake his head as he instead spotted not one but a group of the familiar star shaped AIs swarming around in white sheets, startling any unfortunate Guardians or causing others to laugh.

It was during this time of year where Ghosts freely roam around the Tower alone without their Guardians at their side (since most are either running around on a sugar high or mourning those who they have lost) and most take up the hobby of startling any Guardians who lack attention or simply to make those in mourning smile. Ace was amongst those Ghosts and from what he had heard, Hope and Spears are also taking part in the small 'trick'. Although this in turn makes it hard to pinpoint which Ghost was who and after a while of trying to pick off his Ghost, Ianos shrugged it off; if Ace was ready to return to their quarters, they will return.

However, before Ianos can take the stairs up towards the apartments, he was stopped by the familiar form of Akiva, the latter of which was clad in a dark jacket and pants, causing him to look deathly pale. And it was no exaggeration. The Titan looked as if he hadn't slept in days, his eyes bloodshot and his body haggard. The once optimistic outlook was completely gone and instead, a broken man stood in the human Titan's place. Said Titan held a wrapped object in his hands and when his tired golden eyes spotted the Awoken Warlock, a sheepish smile spread across his face as he nodded his head in greeting, "Ianos."

Returning the greeting with a nod of his own, Ianos waited until Akiva approached and held out the package in his hands, "Here's the item you asked for." He waited until the Awoken Warlock delicately took the package before he added, "Another to add to your 'wall'?"

This caused Ianos to pause, "Just because we carve the names of our dead on the monuments, does not mean we remember their faces." His orange hues glancing at the package he held in his hands, Ianos added, "The least I can do is preserve their image before time takes it away."

"That takes time and dedication." Akiva stated before he paused as the familiar white and yellow Ghost glided into view, "Lex? What's –"

That's when a wail echoed from the apartments, causing both Guardians to snap their attention towards the glass windows, staying silent as the wails continued to echo through the air.

"I didn't understand why they called Aleeza 'The Banshee' until the first year I stayed with her on Mars," Akiva explained as he turned his tired gaze back towards the Awoken Warlock, "She maybe ten years older than me and I may have known for several more years after, but those years, Aleeza had lost plenty of loved ones."

"We have to calm her down again," It was Lex who spoke, catching Ianos' attention, "before she starts setting fire to her apartment. Again."

That's when Ianos noticeably wince, something that wasn't missed by the human Titan.

"Don't worry, that won't happen." Akiva gave the Warlock a tired smile, "she calms down once I get there but for me to grab your package, I had to leave her momentarily to head to the market." He let out a light chuckle as he added, "To think that after all these years, there are still people who are still scared of the 'immortals'."

Instead of responding to the Titan's words, Ianos opted to stare silently, watching Akiva sway slightly, as if struggling to fight against the slight breeze before he shook his head, "Anyway, I have to head to Aleeza's apartments. I will see you around."

Then without another word, Akiva turned and headed up the stairs with Lex following not too far behind, disappearing into one of the many corridors as Ianos stood out in the plaza. Standing there momentarily, Ianos focused his attention to his surroundings. He remembered the day when a Guardian suggested a day to 'mourn' the dead but, at the same time, 'celebrate' their memory. A day for Guardians to 'burn' off inner emotions and stress while at the same time, a day for 'themselves', a day free of tasks as a 'Guardian' and a day to be… 'normal'. When the first Festival of the Lost came around, Ianos wasn't pleased. He had already lost 'many' of those he considered comrades and to know that there a day for those 'lost', it just brought back many painful memories. Memories that the Awoken Warlock would have liked to have forgotten. And Ianos wasn't the only one who thought this. Ianos remembered Sun yelling sporadically at the Speaker for letting such event even occur at the Tower; even the other nine founding members of the Galaxy Clan backed up their clan leader. But in the end, the Speaker's decision stood strong and many of the Veteran Guardians, although bitter, decided to let the festivities continue over the years. It wasn't long until the Festival of the Lost grew on Ianos, especially after…

Shaking his head, the Awoken Warlock instead focused his attention on the package he held in his hands before he held it close to his chest and making his way towards his quarters. Entering the corridor, Ianos walked to the very end of the hall before coming to a pause at a door just short of the stairs. Then quickly pressing a passcode onto the panel next to the entrance, Ianos waited until the door slid open before taking a step into his quarters and quickly scanning his room for anything out of place as the door slid close behind him. His bed (hardly used) was pushed up near the window, the polarized glass easily keeping out curious eyes, and his desk was near the foot of the bed, scatters of books and paper alongside pens and unknown utensils scatter on the counter; his 'personal' space. The Awoken Warlock also has a kitchen, the entryway just to the right of the entrance however, since Ianos hardly touches anything but coffee, everything was empty apart from a single pantry dedicated to the bitter beverage. The bathroom was to his left, a room that Ianos constantly uses after every mission but (like Ace likes to point out) 'neglected' if Ianos is stuck in his room, 'researching' any items he deems 'curious'. As much as he would like to research a current artifact he had found earlier that year (a petrified Ahamkara's egg) he instead opted towards the room, the entrance which is next to his desk.

Instead of immediately entering, Ianos instead took in a deep breath, closing his eyes before he breathed out. Then slowly opening his eyes, he quietly entered the room. And immediately, he was greeted by the faces of the dead. Screens covered the walls of the room, holding the faces of individuals that Ianos had lost over the years, each one giving light within the room, giving Ianos no reason to turn on the lights when entering. Coming to a pause in the middle of the room, the Awoken Warlock took the time to let his eyes pass several of the screens, silently reading the names underneath the images.

Kaye Raith

Lynn-10

Venus -13

Ricard

Darian

Copper-29

Rytark

Amele

Darkness, even Sun -7 has a screen placed in Ianos' 'wall' back before the Warlock discovered their survival. Many more faces and names littered the wall, especially the names of those who were part of the Galaxy Clan before their untimely deaths. However, as he continued to scan the faces, his orange hues lingered just a tad bit longer on two faces.

A 'human' with dark strands smiled in one of the screens, his vibrant blue eyes sticking out against his fair features. The image next to him, an Exo with white plating and icy blue lights, smiled enthusiastically, his optics beaming at the one who had taken his picture.

Zakai and Ahamri – 34.

Both Warlocks, the two of them were once a Fireteam with Ianos and they had called themselves Fireteam Trinity, mainly for the reason that back then, each Warlock attuned only to one light. Ianos, back before the tragedy of the Moon, had attuned to Solar while as Ahamri or affectionally called 'Ari' by Ianos and Zakai, attuned to Void and Zakai to Arc. Although many had scoffed at the idea of at an all Warlock Fireteam, they had constantly proved doubters wrong after a match in the Crucible or when watching the three of them work out in the field. Although a powerful team, the three of them were more renowned for hardly the leaving presence of the others, always seen wandering around the Tower together. This proves their strong bond and as such, all the more tragic when Ari's life was prematurely ended during the Great Disaster. Being the youngest of the trio, the Exo was only twenty years of age before his death.

This brought Ianos back to Zakai's deterioration of sanity, remembering how the Warlock was determined to bring back their 'lost friend'. The fact that Ianos' light was also tainted and that he could turn corrupt any moment didn't help his sanity. Eventually, when Ianos was out on a mission, the quarters that the three of them once shared exploded, most likely due to one of many of Zakai's experiments, leading to the Arc Warlock's death. Apparently, the explosion was severe enough that not only Zakai's remains were obliterated, his Ghost too had also been incinerated, leaving no final testaments to be taken from the dead Ghost's memory.

Not long, Ianos had volunteered to take the fated recon to the Moon.

Shaking his mind free of memories, Ianos glanced around until finding a free space, walking over to it before coming to a slow pause. Glancing down at the package he held in his hands, Ianos hesitated before taking in a shaky breath and then proceeding to tear the paper off around the object. Soon, the familiar dark azure plating of Neptune – 88 smiled back at the Awoken Warlock, his white optics seemingly gazing softly into Ianos' visor.

Fixating his gaze onto Neptune's face, Ianos let one hand hold onto the screen while as used another to gently caress his fingers across the screen, his shaking hands barely keeping the image steady. Taking in another deep breath, Ianos walked up to the empty space on the wall before delicately locking it onto the wall, slowly letting his hands slide off the sides to ensure its security. Waiting momentarily to ensure the screen was secured, Ianos then took several stops back up until he was once again in the middle of the room and his gaze once more scanning all the faces surrounding him.

"Happy Festival of the Lost." He whispered before the Warlock bowed his head and finally let himself release the years of grief he had held within.

* * *

 _To be honest, I am not sure when this exactly takes place. Most likely after the Fallen Arc that's for sure lol_

 _Anyways, I do realize that Pluto seems a bit 'too' nonchalant in this chapter for being an old Guardian who had experienced the loss of comrades 'especially' since he lost majority of his Clan as the years passed. But each Guardian has their own way of coping with grief, and for Pluto, honoring their memory is the best way to help him cope with death, as you can tell lol._

 _When I was writing up the scenario for Pluto challenging Cayde to a Crucible match, I came up with two different reasons as to why he would do this. One would be that he is still angry at the Vanguard for considering exiling and executing Ianos in the earlier chapters and as such, the only way to assuage that rage is to directly challenge one of the Vanguard leaders which is unfortunately Cayde (although I wouldn't be surprised if he challenges Ikora and Zavala later lol). Reason two is that I imagine he hasn't face Cayde in years so I guess he just wants a friendly match as well. Up to you lol._

 _Also the part when Akiva says that there are still people scared of 'immortals', I believe not all citizens in the Last City see the Guardians in a positive light. As such, the scenario I had originally intended to put was Akiva trying to order a screen while trying to keep and eye on Aleeza but the merchants were hesitant to enter a Tower full of 'immortals'. Sadly, I cut it out since I couldn't get that part to get it to work with me. Also, Akiva is the one who sets up the screens for Ianos, which is why Neptune's image is already on the screen. Why? Well I'm not sure yet but what I have right now is that Akiva figured out how to manually input pictures of people onto screens as advanced photos (since I believe Ghosts 'record' but not photograph). Although I believe the others can do the same thing, Akiva is the one who can do it better than the others._

 _And more names of Guardians who were part of Ianos' life :D_

 _Pay attention, they will make an appearance in future chapters lol_

 _Anyways, enjoy!_


	37. Get Out

**Tormented**

 **Get Out**

 _Here's the first of the double update! Took a lot longer than I thought lol (couldn't even play Destiny, especially when I have work on the side -w-;;). Anyway, the other half of the double update will be up soon, shouldn't be long!_

 _Mantic65, flamingmence, zantilis -_ _Thanks_ _for understanding you guys! Really appreciate it!  
_

* * *

"Do you think Angel is alright?"

Turning her crimson hues away from the entrance, Aleeza focused her attention onto her twin, only give him a look of concern when she saw Akiva lean his shoulder against the wall, his breath heaving.

"He can take care of himself," The female Warlock responded as she approached the human Titan, "You however, need to sit down."

Immediately, Akiva shook his head, "No, not until we secure this location and ensure that the Taken are cleared from the bunker."

Hearing her twin's words, Aleeza couldn't help but let out a frown behind her helmet, her crimson hues glancing back and forth between the Titan and the Ward around Rasputin's power core, "You are fighting against enemies while as keeping a Ward up this entire time; a feat, which I heard, is considered insane by even veteran Defenders."

A tired chuckle emitted from the male Guardian, "Well, that makes me crazy then, right?"

If there was humor in his words, Aleeza didn't find it amusing, "Akiva, you need to rest. You know what happens if a Guardian overworks themselves."

That's when the female Warlock saw her twin pause, as if contemplating on her words. It was widely known throughout older Guardians that using up majority of their light is a risk. True, they can easily rejuvenate later but during combat, where enemies are constant and no sign of proper cover, there is a chance that if they are killed, their Ghost will be unable to bring them back. As such, many Guardians are warned to be careful out in the field; you will never know when such thing will occur. And right now, Aleeza can easily tell Akiva was pushing it, sensing his exhaustion and the way the Ward will consistently flicker during the one of many waves of Taken trying to get in. She wasn't going to risk losing someone, especially a biological family member.

"One more wave." Aleeza narrowed her eyes at her twin, "One more wave and I will not only sit down but I'll take the Ward down so I can rest easy."

Momentarily keeping her glare on her twin, Aleeza finally shook her head as she let out a sigh, "Fine, promise?"

She waited until the Titan nodded, "Good." Her attention then snapped back to the entrances as the familiar screeching echoed through the air, causing her to sheath her pulse rifle onto her back and to take out her shotgun, "Get ready."

Having faced only Taken Thralls, Psions, and Acolytes, Aleeza had closed in the distance between herself and the Orb of Darkness, half excepting the smaller troops to stand around the ring of darkness as soon as the flash of light vanished from her sight. A tactical error. Instead of a Psion or even a Thrall, Aleeza found herself facing a Taken Phalanx, the latter of which let out a low gurgle before lifting upon one of its shields. Startled and unprepared, the female Warlock found herself pulling the trigger on her weapon, feeling the recoil in her hands forcing her gun upwards as the pellets fired out of the barrel and uselessly penetrated onto the shield's surface. It was not long after this, that the familiar humming of the shield rang in her ears.

Now Aleeza had seen her brother encounter the Phalanx and then saw how he was easily flung across the room after its beam impacted into his chest. Knowing her twin, it had taken a lot of force to toss him across the hall like that and as such, when she saw the shield powering up in her sight, Aleeza couldn't help but clench her teeth and prepare herself for the worst.

That was before a whoop and holler echoed in her ears.

Just as soon as she thought the Taken Phalanx was to release the beam on his shield, a black and green blur slammed into the Taken Cabal, causing it to let out a scream of surprise before the sound of a shotgun followed, silencing its cries. Watching the body of the Taken disappear in a mass of black and white, Aleeza turned her wide crimson eyes towards her savior, a Titan clad in black and green armor, the latter of which twirled a shot gun in his hands before he turned out and called out, "Malik! Let it rain!"

Almost immediately, three solar bullets flew from the entrance, taking out both orbs of Darkness and another unfortunate Taken Cabal. It was then a Hunter clad in gold armor and brown leather, rolled into the room, a side arm in his grasp as he fired any Taken surrounding his proximity. This was followed by the echoes of the Titan's shotgun, the Guardian consistently cocking and firing his weapon into any unfortunate Taken wandering too close.

Her eyes still wide, Aleeza slowly turned her attention towards her twin, the latter of which also stood in place, his weapon lowered, and if his helmet was absent, his jaw hanging open. Hearing gunfire slowly fade from her ears, the female Warlock then refocused her attention onto the two Guardians and it was only then a single question popped into her mind: How did they get here?

"What? Like what you see?"

The voice of the Hunter snapped Aleeza out of her reverie and just in time to see the gold and leather clad Guardian blowing her a kiss through his helmet, only for the male Guardian to laugh as his Titan comrade reached over and gave him a good shove.

"Excuse my comrade for his 'behavior'," The Titan spoke, his voice synthetic. An Exo, "The name's Praxis-16, just Praxis. The Hunter" He gestured towards the Hunter, who waved, "Is Malik ibn Tahir."

"Although you can just call me Malik," Aleeza then saw the Hunter lean in and somehow, she can imagine him giving her a wink through his visor. When the Exo Titan once more reached over and shoved Malik who laughed, this seems to only strengthen the female Warlock's theory.

"Aleeza Wahl." The female Awoken then nodded her head back to her twin, "The Titan is my brother, Akiva." She then nodded her head in thanks to the two Guardians, "We thank for you for coming in when you did." Aleeza then hesitated, "Although I am curious as how you were able to find us, let alone know that we were in trouble."

That's when the female Warlock noticed the pair glance at each other and the way their hands gripped their weapons tightly. A chill running down the length of her spine, Aleeza also gripped her shot gun tightly, taking slow steps back as the two Guardians' gaze locked back onto the Warlock. However, before she can raise her weapon, a resounding 'thunk' echo through the room and Aleeza snapped her gaze towards her twin.

"Akiva!" She cried out as she saw the human Titan on the floor, the Guardian let out a groan before the Ward around the Core flickered away, leaving the buzzing power source exposed. Her thoughts on Praxis and Malik long gone, Aleeza rushed towards her twin's side, kneeling and pressing a hand against his shoulder, "Akiva?"

When the female Warlock gained no response, panic arose in her chest before she dropped her weapon, hearing it clatter next to the floor next to her as she shook the Titan, "Akiva!"

A shift in the air caused the Awoken Guardian to reel back, landing on her bottom as the familiar white and yellow Ghost materialized into view, "Will you stop that! He's light exhausted! Waking him up is the last thing you want to do!"

Recoiling from the Ghost's words, Aleeza only let out a nod as Lex returned his focus on his Guardian letting out streams of light around the Titan before he added, "Akiva's done. Even if he wakes up, he is in no condition to fight." He then turned his single optic towards the female Warlock, "We need to get him to a safe place."

"What?" Aleeza glanced back and forth between the Ghost and the Guardian, "But we promised Sun and Gaia –"

"Wait a minute? Sun? Sun as the late leader of Clan Galaxy?"

That's when Aleeza's heart sank, slowly turning her gaze towards Praxis and Malik, both of who had their guns lowered. She had momentarily forgotten about the two.

"Answer my friend's question if you do not mind," It was Praxis who spoke, the Titan gesturing towards the Hunter with his shotgun before he added, "Is Sun the leader of the Galaxy Clan alive?"

Glancing back and forth between her unconscious brother and the two Guardian's, Aleeza's shoulders slumped in defeat, "…Yes."

"Is that the secret your team have been hiding then?" Praxis questioned, the Exo Titan slowly raising his weapon, causing the female Warlock to go rigid, her crimson eyes eyeing her fallen shotgun near her side, "Hiding the survival of an infamous Guardian? Now why would-" That's when the Titan came to an abrupt halt, and from the intensity of his gaze, Aleeza knew what he was going to say next, "They are a Rogue? They no longer want to protect the City?"

That's when Aleeza's crimson gaze narrowed at the Titan, "Now that's not the reason why Sun-"

"Hostiles! Incoming!" It was Malik's voice that interrupted the pair, causing the Titan and Warlock to snap their attention to their surroundings, the familiar void of darkness swirling around them.

Hearing Praxis silently curse under his breath, Aleeza took the opportunity to pick up her fallen Shotgun before raising it and firing it into the face of an approaching Taken Thrall, the latter of which let out a scream before disappearing into a swirl of black and white, "I will explain everything later, but for now, help me protect my brother 'and' this core, do you understand?"

"And why would we do that?" Praxis hissed out, his shotgun easily penetrating through the shield of an incoming Taken Phalanx before reaching out and punching said Taken in the face, sending it back to the void.

Aleeza could feel her frustration boil within her chest, "Because 'that' core is Rasputin's life line. If the Taken gets to it, who knows what can happen." Her expression then turned dark as she added, "And if 'any' harm comes to my brother, it will 'not' be pretty."

It was just a split second, but the female Warlock could see both the Hunter and the Titan glance at each other once more, reading each other's thoughts before Malik turned to Aleeza and quipped, "Just promise us that you keep your end of the bargain and we will have a deal."

Her pale features softening, Aleeza nodded once, gaining a two-fingered salute from the Hunter before Malik ducked from a Taken Vandal's swipe, taking the opportunity to raise his side arm and fire it underneath its jaws, killing it instantly. Focusing her attention onto the Titan, Aleeza could still see the signs of doubt, from the way the Exo kept glancing back at her from every kill, ensuring that the female Warlock was still within eyesight as they cleared out the Taken. Although this did not bother the Awoken Guardian in the very least; as long as Akiva is safe and their mission is accomplished, she doesn't care what others think. As such, placing her body between Akiva's Ghost and the Taken, Aleeza started firing at any who wandered too close.

Xxxxx

It was strange to Carina how Sun can easily summon hammers repeatedly, throwing them at any Taken that wanders into their proximity, while she herself can hardly gather enough energy to currently even perform a Fist of Havoc. She had previous used it twice and already she could feel the Darkness gather around her shoulders, hindering her light rejuvenation as she fired her auto rifle into the Taken. Although she shouldn't be complaining, as the thrown hammers easily obliterate smaller enemies and those who survive are unfortunate enough to be burned by the pyres left behind. But the waves kept coming and even Carina had the common sense to know that not even Sun can keep it up forever.

As such, the female Exo ducked behind some consoles, hearing it shake behind her as she holstered her primary weapon and took out her rocket launcher.

{ _"Please do be careful with that. The last time you used it you were just a 'tad' bit too close to an enemy."}_

"Pfft, I'll be fine," Smiling at the sigh she heard emitting through her helmet, Carina lifted herself into the air and turned, aiming her rocket launcher at the first enemies in sight: a clustered group of Taken Cabal. Squeezing the trigger, the Exo couldn't help but let out a loud laugh as the shell exploded, sending out shrapnel at any unfortunate Taken that survived the initial blast. Then as soon as she let go of the trigger, blasts of fire erupted from the barrel of the weapon, spewing canisters of fire and latching onto any surrounding Taken. Hearing the enemies' screams reaching her auditory sensors, Carina released her lift, letting herself fall to the ground with a heavy 'clunk', putting herself back into cover. She then took this opportunity to press her hand on the front of the weapon, the pressure causing the front to unattached itself from the back, revealing the empty chamber.

"Only if this weapon can hold more than one canister," Carina grumbled to herself before she held out her hand, a sign for Spears to materialize the familiar warhead into her grasp before the Guardian shoved it into the chamber and slid the front back. Hearing the familiar 'click' resound through her auditory sensors, the female Exo couldn't help but let out another smile as she stood up, bending her needs in preparation for another lift. That's when she heard a snarl to her left. Jumping, the Exo Titan twirled to her left only to let out a yelp as she leaned back in time to barely dodge a sword swipe, the familiar encrusted plating of a Taken Knight appearing in her vision. Feeling her weapon go lax in her grasp, Carina stumbled back several steps before she heard 'clanks' fall to the ground and it was then the female Exo took the opportunity to glance downward. Immediately, rage built up in within her at the sight of her rocket launcher in pieces, having taken most of the Taken Knight's hit when she had turned.

Although grateful that her weapon had saved her life, Carina couldn't help but let arc energy build up around her fists as she lifted her gaze and narrowed them at the Taken Knight, "Do you know how long it took me to get that weapon?" With that she charged, ducking another sword swipe from the Taken Hive before leaped up and slammed her arc filled fist into its face, sending it reeling, "Months!"

She then leaped up and swung her other fist, sending the Taken Knight reeling once more before she brought her leg forward and slammed her foot into its chest, sending it flying over her cover and into a mass of Taken Acolytes. Feeling Arc light flicker around her wrists, Carina took the opportunity to rush forward and leap with her fists in the air. Then as she landed, the female Exo slammed her fists into the ground and immediately arc light blasted around her, disintegrating any Taken within the vicinity of her Fist of Havoc.

"Who's next!?" She growled as she stood up, her violet optics scanning around her.

"That's enough," Carina turned around and her gaze locked onto the orange Exo, the latter of which leaned against one of the many consoles as they added, "We've cleared the room." They then sighed, "For now."

Glancing around only to see the truth in the orange Exo's words, Carina took it as an opportunity to leap over the consoles and duck behind it once more, using it as cover as she seated herself, "They're coming back, aren't they?" She let out a groan at the nod from the Ex-Guardian, "I know I said I wanted a challenge but this? This is ridiculous. Constant flow of enemies, hardly any time to rest, and not to mention the suffocating Darkness around here."

Sun's chuckling caused Carina to turn her attention back onto the orange Exo, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing," The Ex-Guardian shrugged it off with a wave of a hand before they approached the younger Exo and took a seat next to her, "Although I am curious about one thing though." Carina blinked as Sun asked, "You say that you are just a few years old, correct?"

"If you count on how long I've been resurrected for?" Carina saw Sun nod once, "Then yes."

The female Exo then watch Sun cross their arms as they let out a hum, "Interesting."

The Exo Guardian gave the orange Exo a bewildered look, "What?"

"You hold potential, young one," Sun stated, earning another bewildered look from Carina, "You already mastered your Arc light and on your way on mastering the Void."

The female Exo couldn't help but let pride swell within her chest, "Well, I can't take all the credit. I had some pretty good teachers." She puffed out her chest as she boasted, "Although I did learn how to wield Arc light on my own."

"And the Void?"

"You know that human Titan that was earlier with us? Akiva?" Carina ignored the sour look on Sun's metallic features, "Well he's the one who's teaching me at the moment, although he would claim that he is just giving me 'pointers', that humble sack of muscle."

Carina watched the orange Exo's yellow optics narrow, "He does not try to claim credit?"

The female Exo blinked at the other Exo, "For what? Is there bragging rights on training other Guardians?"

"In a way, yes," Carina gave the Ex-Guardian a blank look, "Back when I lived at the Tower, the more Guardians you train, the more of a notoriety you gain." The female Exo then watch Sun shake their head before letting out a single snort, "How else do you think Neptune is widely known amongst the Warlocks? He pretty much taught 'all' of the ones who were born right before…" That's when Carina heard Sun's voice fade, a distant look fading into the older Exo's optics before they shook their head, their gaze turning serious as they refocused their attention back onto the younger Exo, "I am just a bit baffled that someone who is giving you 'tips' isn't boasting aloud of his 'mentorship'."

Blinking several times at the older Guardian, it was Carina's turn to laugh at her fellow Guardian, the latter of which sank lower into their seat as they silently grumbled under their breath.

"How long as it been since you have last been to the Tower?" Carina breathed out, taking in steady breaths before she continued, "Or at least left this bunker?"

That's when the room went quiet, letting the silently buzzing of the power within the room echo around the pair as Sun turned and gave the younger Exo a blank look. Momentarily silent, Carina blinked several times before it suddenly clicked, "Wait a minute, don't tell me you have been in here since you found Rasputin?"

"Ding, ding, ding, give the young light a prize, she guessed correctly," Carina gave Sun a blank look, the latter of which let out a smirk as they straighten their posture, "Yes, I haven't left Rasputin's Bunker when several of my clan mates and I found him."

"Hermit much?" Carina blurted, earning a narrowed look from the older Exo, "I mean come on, don't tell me you haven't been curious on what was happening 'outside', right?"

The female Exo watched Sun give her another blank stare before they sighed, "I had told the others to tell everyone at the Tower that I was dead. What better way to keep hidden than to let everyone think that you are deceased?" Carina remained silent at their words, "However in order to ensure that the secret of my survival is kept hidden, I had to stay 'inside'." The female Exo then watch them roll their optics, "That is until a 'Newborn' discovered Rasputin's survival and now, Guardians are flooding in expecting an easy prize."

"Wait, what?"

"Why else do you think Guardians come here? To make initial contact with Rasputin to build an alliance with the Tower?" Sun let out a scoff, "No, most Guardians come here just for the Golden Age tech and data within the bunker. Hoping that whatever they find in here, will make them a 'hero' in the eyes of those back at the Tower." Shaking their head once more, Sun added, "It is very rare to find 'honest' Guardians, those who simply wish to find that 'one' thing to help others."

"How many of those types of Guardians come through?" Carina asked.

"None so far." Carina couldn't but let her jaw drop open at the older Exo's words, "None!? How the fuck there are none!? There has to be at least one?!"

"Hey, don't look at me, I may be the one who tries to keep intruders out but Rasputin gets the final say," Sun frowned at the younger Exo, "So don't blame me on those who 'fail'."

"All those Guardians, how many of them died here?" Carina asked.

That's when the female Exo saw the Ex-Guardian's metallic features unreadable, the blank slate of their expression sending a chill down the younger Exo's spine, "Just how many did you kill?"

"We should probably prepare ourselves for the Taken," Sun abruptly stood up, "More than likely they will discover our weakness and make another attack if we rest for too long."

"Hey!" Carina pushed herself back onto her feet, her violet optics glaring at the back of the older Exo as they started walking away, "I asked you a question!"

"A question that I am not comfortable answering," Sun snapped, turning around to give the younger Exo a glare, "So if you do not mind, shut your mouth and -"

Both Titans immediately went silent, turning their optics towards the front entrance, the very entrance that Sun had broken through earlier. With the door blasted open, there was nothing to hinder the movements of their enemies pouring into the room and as such, the pair had kept a keen sense on it compared to the other entrances to Rasputin's Core. As such, the unmistakable soft 'pat pat pat' of approaching footsteps did not go unheard by the two Exo and immediately, Carina had already removed her auto rifle from her back, watching Sun do the same from the corner of her vision. Aiming her weapon at the broken entrance, Carina took in a deep breath as her finger twitched on the trigger as her optics finally spotted movement. As soon as the figure entered the room, Carina immediately pressed her finger on the trigger; only to let out a shout as her gaze recognizes the silver and white armor of Angel. Seeing the cloak billow around her comrade as he came to a pause, Carina opened her mouth to let out another shout only to find her words stuck in her throat when Angel suddenly disappeared in violet smoke, only for his form to suddenly reappear moments later as soon as the bullets pelted where he had just stood moments before. Watching Angel roll onto his back, Carina lowered her weapon and jumped over her cover.

"Angel!" She skidded to a stop next to her comrade before bending down and grabbing him by the shoulders, lifting him up easily the female Exo shouted, "What the fuck was that!?" The Exo Titan then started to shake him, "That was amazing!"

"S-Shade step." The Hunter stuttered out, "a-and p-please stop. H-headache."

"Sorry!" Carina immediately dropped the human Guardian, receiving an 'oof' as Angel collapsed into a heap, "I guess you haven't mastered Nightstalker yet?" A thumb up from the Hunter was enough to answer the female Exo's question, "Traveler, a simple dodge takes that much out of you?"

"I need practice." Angel let out a groan as Carina chuckled.

"What in the Traveler's name are you doing here!?"

The furiousness in Sun's voice immediately caught the attention of the younger Guardians, only for Carina to immediately place herself between Angel and the orange Exo. Solar light had immediately engulfed the Ex-Guardian's body, leaving only a burning figure in flames as they approached. Now if the flames were tinted in green and Sun's optics were once again the eerie yellow, Carina would have opted to pick up Angel and run. However, the Solar light was the familiar red and orange flames she recognizes from her time in the Crucible and Sun's yellow optics were flared up in rage.

"I thought I told you to protect Rasputin's Power Core." Sun snarled as they came to a pause just short of the two Guardians, Carina feeling their optics passing over her shoulders and glaring intensely at Angel, "What the fuck are you doing here!?"

Hearing the human Guardian gulp behind her, Carina took the opportunity to intervene, "Calm down and give him time to explain." The female Exo saw Sun's gaze snap towards her and it was only then Carina noticed the heat, feeling it easily as though her armor was absent, "He must have a good reason on being here."

"And I do!"

The female Titan had to turn around for that, especially after hearing Angel squeak out the words, having to bite back the laughter building up in her throat; after this mission, she will never let the Hunter down for the high pitched squeal that emitted from his throat. Nonetheless, the amused look on her silver features were quickly replaced by one of surprise when the human Guardian held out a hand and Gaia materialized into view, the gold and crimson Ghost twirling their back fins once before their gaze looked over the female Exo's shoulder.

"Sun!" Watching the Ghost barrel over her shoulder, Carina once more had to twirl around to witness the orange Exo hold out their hand, their optics wide as the gold and crimson Ghost nestled into their palm, "Gaia? What are you doing with an organic?"

"I ran into some…trouble on the way back," The female Titan can see Gaia's parts droop slightly, their parts scrunching together against their core before they relaxed, "But the Hunter, Angel, came to my rescue. He even offered himself to ensure that I was safe on our way here."

Blinking once, Carina once again turned her gaze back towards Angel, the latter of which shrugged as he kept his seat on the ground, "The three of us got worried is all, we just thought that one of us should keep an eye on Gaia in case, you know? They were to bump into any Taken along the way here?"

That's when a smile creeped onto Carina's features, "Don't tell me. You were the one who brought up the idea to Aleeza and Akiva?"

In response to Carina's question, Angel twiddled his thumbs, "Well, the bunker is filled with enemies we never faced before. And I thought, you know, maybe since Gaia hadn't exactly know much about these 'Taken' as well, I thought, well, they need protection." The female Exo then watched Angel turned his gaze downwards and immediately, she could tell he was flustered, from the way his fingers continued to twiddle against each other and the muttering under his breath a sign that he was speaking to Hope, the latter of which most likely teasing the young Hunter.

"You always did have a soft spot for others," Carina teased, earning a glance from the human Hunter, "Come on, it's alright be selfish every now and again."

"B-but they needed help," Angel stuttered out, staggering as he pushed himself onto his feet, "I-I just couldn't leave them alone knowing that they could get hurt with the Taken around!"

"Softie," Carina chuckled as once again, the human Hunter turned flustered, his words lost to the female Exo as she turned her attention to the Ex-Guardian behind her. From there, she watched Sun cover their hand over Gaia's back fins, watching their lips move silently as the Ex-Guardian and Ghost spoke, whispering to the point where their words were inaudible. Finally, a sigh escaped Sun's lips before the orange Exo turned their yellow optics turned towards the younger Guardians.

"Hunter," The female Exo could hear Angel choke behind her, "You protected Gaia?"

"Yes," Carina stifled back at the Hunter's squeak, "I-I can-"

"I. Thank you, Hunter."

That's when both Angel and Carina came to a pause, both their gaze wide as Sun continued, "If it hadn't been for you, then it was a… possibility that Gaia wouldn't have made it here safely. As such, I… Thank you for protecting them."

"I-It-it's n-no – You're welcome," Carina heard Angel manage to stutter out before Sun held out their hand, a sign for Gaia to hover in place before the Ex-Guardian turned around and headed back towards the consoles for cover.

Waiting momentarily until Sun turned and started talking to Gaia once more, Carina turned around and focused her attention onto Angel, "Did they just thank you?"

"I-I think so?" The Hunter's response sounded more like a question than an answer, "I'm, not imagining things, am I?"

"No I heard it too," Carina hissed out, glancing back at the orange Exo who had turned their focus back onto the younger Guardians, "Do you think that means that they're –"

"If you two have time to stand around and chat," Angel and Carina turned their gaze towards Sun, the latter of which had their arms crossed, their optics narrowed, "then you also have time to prep yourselves for the next wave of Taken."

Glancing back at Angel who returned the gaze, Carina let out a sheepish shrug before motioning for the Hunter to follow and heading up to the consoles, "What's the plan?"

Seeing Sun drop their arms back to their sides, the Ex-Guardian heaved out a sigh, "Just keep doing what we were doing earlier: keep the Taken at bay and pray that somehow they will just give in and leave."

Carina couldn't help but sputter at the orange Exo's words, "You do know that could take 'days', weeks even."

Sun blinked at the younger Guardian, "And?"

That is when the female Titan gave the older Guardian a blank look, "We haven't exactly told the Vanguard the reason 'why' we headed here."

"…What did you tell them?"

Seeing the narrowed glance of the older Ex-Guardian, Carina couldn't help but hesitate slightly, "That we were going on a 'patrol'. Just a 'simple' one."

Receiving only a blank stare from the older Exo, the female Titan held in her breath, her hands clenching her weapon tightly as she waited; only to let out her breath when Sun heaved out a sigh, pinching the bridge of their nose as they shook their head, "That's the weakest excuse I have ever heard. 'Especially' for a cause like this."

"Hey," Carina's optics narrowed defensively, "We knew that you wanted help but how are we supposed to know that fighting this 'Taken' would take 'days'?"

"Common fucking sense, young one!" Once again, Carina had to take a step back from the orange Exo, "These are enemies that we have 'never' faced before! How else are you supposed to learn of your enemies!?" Watching Sun shake their head and narrow their yellow optics at her, rage flared within the female Exo when she heard the Ex-Guardians next words, "You spend too much time with organics. They have messed with your head."

"Well excuse me!" Carina shouted, earning a glare from the older, "I know the fuck exactly what I am talking about 'Know-it-all" because I was a 'war machine' back in the Golden Age! I know exactly when there is a tactical retreat or when the enemy is weak that we can charge ahead!"

"Then why the Darkness didn't you think when you try to come up with an 'excuse' when coming here." Sun snarled, "An important target? Fluctuations of enemy numbers? Not a simple 'patrol'!"

"At least we came up with an excuse to save your ass!" The female Exo retorted, her violet optics flared up with rage, "My team and I risked our status as Guardians to ensure that we come here! If the Vanguard figured out we lied to their faces then my entire team can be marked as 'Rogues' and hunted down!" With this, Carina marched forward and pressed her face against the older Exo, glaring into their optics as she added, "So stop insulting my friends and at least pretend to be grateful, you broken piece of shit! I'm surprised that the Darkness hasn't eaten your ass yet with all these years down here alone!" Pressing her face even further against Sun's, she added, "And don't forget, if the Darkness turns you into a 'machine', that the first you will kill won't be Rasputin. It will be Gaia."

No sooner had the Ghost's name left her lips when Carina felt pressure against her chest and the next thing she knew she was sent flying, landing painfully near the entrance of the Power Core.

"Get out!" Sun's voice echoed through the room, "Get the fuck out! Grab your team and get out!"

"But-" Angel didn't even get to finish.

The Hunter leaped back as bullets pelted the area he was just standing, leaping towards Carina's side as the orange Exo yelled out, "Get out!"

Pushing herself back onto her feet, Carina gave the Ex-Guardian another glare behind her helmet before she tenderly reached out and placed a hand on Angel's shoulder, immediately earning his attention, "Let's get out of here."

Giving Sun once last glance, Carina hefted her weapon in her arms and walked out the door, hearing Angel's footsteps following behind her.

"Do you think we should leave them like this?"

Hearing the Hunter walk up next to her, Carina took it as an opportunity to turn and give Angel a blank stare behind her helmet, "After they shoved me across the room and yelled at us to leave? I think it's a good idea."

"Why do you agree to leave so easily?" The female Exo sighed at the human Guardian's question, "Perhaps they are just angry. Maybe if we give them a few minutes alone, then perhaps-"

"They keep blaming organics, more specifically 'you'." Carina snapped, watching her comrade reel back at her words, "Didn't you hear them just now? Or earlier? They keep insulting you and yet you are still on their side? How can you even think that?"

Seeing Angel come to a slow pause, Carina slowed down her pace, coming to a slow halt as she continued, "Come on Angel, that Psycho can handle things themselves."

"But one of them against a whole army of Taken…" The female Exo glared at Angel and the Hunter must have felt the intensity of her gaze as he halted, although this doesn't stop him from gently drum his fingers together, "They are the infamous 'Sun-7', the leader of the Clan Galaxy and a member of the Sunbreakers, they can take care of themselves."

With that, Carina marched forward as she finished, "And what do I care if that psycho dies?"

* * *

 _Praxis -16 and Malik belongs to Krimzonguard Bites BaronP_

 _Not sure if I got them in character, did my best ,_

 _Anyways, the next chapter should be up soon! :D_


	38. Goodbye, Old Friend

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Goodbye, Old Friend_**

 _And here's the other half of the double update! :D  
_

* * *

"Why did you run them off like that?"

Turning their yellow optics towards the gold and crimson Ghost, Sun responded, "It was a mistake to call for help. We can easily handle this Taken threat ourselves."

"…Is it because of Carina's words?"

The orange Exo paused, a sign for their Ghost to continue, "You know as well as I do that that she speaks the truth. We have seen plenty of other Guardians turn corrupted, Sun. And you know what happens as soon as the Darkness completely devours their light."

Lowering their weapon, Sun gave Gaia a blank look as the Ghost finished, "They go for the nearest source of Light, Sun. And that includes Ghosts." Gliding closer to their Guardian, Gaia added, "Those precautions you spoke of with Rasputin. I know that it isn't for his safety, he can handle himself quite clearly without those extra 'defenses'." The Ghost paused before stating, "They were for me to stay safe, wasn't it?"

Instead of immediately responding immediately to their companion, Sun instead holstered their auto rifle to their back and opted for their shotgun, sliding bullets into the chamber, "We don't know when the Darkness will completely take over, Gaia." Snapping their shot gun back to close the chamber, the Ex-Guardian continued, "Like for instance, it almost took me during Carina and I's way towards Rasputin's core." Ignoring the look of shock from their Ghost's yellow optic, Sun added, "If it wasn't for the Song that we had created earlier, the Darkness surely would have taken me."

"But it won't always work, will it?"

Pausing at the Ghost's question, Sun hefted their shotgun in their hands, glancing back at the buzzing core that carries Rasputin's consciousness, "Who knows? It may work again or it may only have worked for that 'one' time." Turning their yellow optics back at Gaia, Sun gave the Ghost a bitter smile, "Only time will tell." The Exo then paused, "Gaia-"

"Don't say it," The gold and crimson Ghost blurted, "I am 'not' going to find another Guardian, no matter what you say and no matter what happens."

"So you're just going to be a wandering Ghost? Forever alone with no Guardian?"

"Yes," Sun frowned at Gaia's response, "We were together for 'years', Sun. To suddenly just 'pick' another Guardian after centuries of being your Ghost. No, I would rather be alone and rot than find another Guardian to 'replace' you."

"They will not be a replacement, Gaia," The orange Exo retorted, "Just imagine them as another friend, another member of our family. Only that I will not be around when you find them."

That's when Sun saw the look in Gaia's optic shift, the Ghost's shell drooping as they started, "Sun…"

"Gaia," The Ex-Guardian held out their hand, brushing their fingertips against the gold and crimson Ghost's shell, "I would rather you find another Guardian, even an 'organic', than let you rot alone, especially since the Traveler gave up their life to give you yours."

A snort escaped the Ghost, "Even after all these years, you still believe in the Traveler?"

Sun gave Gaia a strained smile, "You still do not have faith in it?"

Before more words can be exchanged between the Ghost and the Guardian, the familiar screaming echoed through the room, a sign for Sun to clasp both hands around their weapon, "Gaia, find a place to hide. I will last as long as I can."

Backing away slowly from their Guardian, the gold and crimson Ghost hesitated, "And what of Rasputin?"

Momentarily gaining a short silence as an answer, Sun stated, "Like I have said before, I will last as long as I can."

"But-"

"Gaia. Hide. Now."

Reeling back from Sun's words, Gaia gave the Ex-Guardian one last glance before disappearing into one of the vents, their yellow optic visible through the darkness of the duct. Keeping an eye on the Ghost momentarily to ensure their safety, Sun cocked their shotgun once before turning their optics towards the entrance, seeing the familiar orb of darkness fade into existence and the Taken crawling from the ring of darkness. Taking in a deep breath, Sun then leaped over the console, skidding down onto their knees before firing their shotgun into the nearest Taken – A Knight – who let out a scream before disappearing into a mass of black and white. Not even glancing back at their handy work, Sun then fired their shotgun at the next Taken – an Acolyte – before turning around and fired it at an unsuspecting Taken thrall. However before they can turn and fire at another Taken, Sun felt claws seep into the cracks of their plating, hearing them creak before the familiar screech of a Taken thrall reached their auditory sensors. Letting out a grunt as several more clambered onto their shoulders, Sun dropped their shotgun and took in a deep breath before letting out a single shout, solar light immediately engulfing their body. Hearing the Taken Thrall scream as the solar light consumed them, Sun then snapped their hand back, hearing the familiar 'clang' of their hammer ring in their auditory sensors before rushing forward and swinging their weapon into the nearest Taken. Watching their hammer connect with the Taken Cabal, Sun couldn't help but let out a smile as the satisfying sight of their enemy turn into ash filtering into their optics and as such, they turned and swung their hammer into the next Taken and watched in morbid satisfaction as the result ended up the same. But as Sun swung their hammer into another Taken, a battle cry erupted into their sensors and Sun glanced up in time to see a Taken Knight charge towards them. Startled and caught off guard, the Ex-Guardian hardly had the time to turn to face the Taken before it slammed into them, sending them sprawling onto the metal floors. Just as soon as they pressed their hands against the floor to push themselves back up, pressure built up around their chest and Sun couldn't help but let out a gasp, feeling their solar light die around them. Fixating their yellow optics onto the Knight, it was only then they could see the handle of the sword in the Taken's hand, the black and white blade embedded into the orange Exo's chest. Taking heavy breaths, Sun then locked their gaze into the Taken Knight's, and immediately could see the single white 'eye' glow menacingly; the Ex-Guardian couldn't help but believe that this was the Taken equivalent to a smile.

Letting out another gasp as the Taken Knight removed its blade from their chest, Sun watched the Taken hold up their sword and listened to it let out another cry, a sign for the other Taken to slowly meander around the Fallen Exo. Seeing the edges of their vision turn black and white from the surrounding Taken, Sun heaved out a sigh, watching the Taken Knight lift their blade.

 _This is it_ , The Ex-Guardian thought as they closed their optics.

It was then thunder echoed around them followed by crashing, the floor momentarily shaking as the Taken screams echoed into their auditory sensors. Snapping their optics open, Sun heaved themselves up into a sitting position, only for their yellow optics to recognizes the copper clad Titan push himself up from a kneeling position, removing her auto rifle from her back as she fired into the Taken behind them, "You…"

"Shut up, Angel guilt tripped me about leaving you here to 'die' alone so don't thank me, thank him," Carina nodded her head behind her, a sign for Sun to shift their optics over her shoulders, only to see the familiar silver and white clad Hunter swinging around his arc blade, "Now get up and – oh shit."

At first, bewildered by the female Exo's change in vocabulary, it was only when Sun lifted a hand up to their chest that they finally understood why; fluids were leaking from the chest wound received by the Taken Knight's sword, letting a pool of white form around them.

"Fuck, you finally took a hit huh?" Carina then paused awkwardly, "Well, besides from me anyway."

Giving the younger Exo a blank stare, Sun's retort was stopped when Gaia glided into view and started beaming their light into their Guardian's chest.

"No matter what you say, I am going to 'try' and heal you," Sun closed their mouth shut at the Ghost's words, "The least I can is stop the fluids from escaping but…" Gaia hesitated, "That's the best I can do in your current condition."

"Better than nothing I suppose," Sun muttered out before they forced themselves onto their feet, stumbling back as Carina reeled at their action, "Hey Psycho, I know that you are quite intent on saving Rasputin but this time around, let Angel and I handle it."

Sun scoffed, "You two 'newborns' fighting against an army of Darkness? Alone? No, I highly doubt-"

That's when the orange Exo felt a hand grab the front of their suit and before they could say anything, felt themselves being pulled down to the female Exo's eye level, the Ex-Guardian easily sensing the glare behind the visor as Carina growled, "You know, one of the other things that pisses me off is when someone automatically assumes that Angel 'and' I cannot handle ourselves just because we are 'young'." Feeling the female Titan pull them even closer to her visor, Sun then heard Carina snarl out, "So do 'not' underestimate us, understand?"

Before the Ex-Guardian can even respond, they felt themselves being shoved back, causing the Exo to stumble before regaining their balance.

"You stand back and watch," Sun watched Carina sheathe her auto rifle and hold out her shot gun, cocking it as she added, "Then you'll see how 'weak' we 'newborns' are." The orange Exo then watched Carina turn and charge into the fray, firing her weapon into Taken that wanders into her path.

Momentarily watching the younger Guardians fight back against the soldiers of Darkness, Sun finally shook their head as they sighed, "Newborns."

"Like you were any different?"

Turning their yellow optics towards their Ghost, Sun couldn't help but let out a scoff at Gaia's words but nonetheless said nothing else and instead opted to curl their fists, letting solar light come to life around their fingertips. It was then the orange Exo turned and swung their fist at an oncoming Taken Psion, the latter of which had hoped to sneak up behind the Ex-Guardian in an attempted sneak attack. Watching the Taken Psion burst into flames with a scream, Sun casually shook their hand, extinguishing remnants of solar light as they added, "I'll let them fight but if they think that I am going to stand back and do nothing, then they are wrong."

"Stubborn." Sun once again turned their yellow optics towards their Ghost, "That's the one thing that never changed."

Responding with nothing else but a smirk, Sun once again let solar light filter into their hands before swinging it into another approaching Taken, letting the flames engulf their enemy.

"Rasputin! Play the song!"

Hearing the Warmind mutter out a mild complaint, the familiar melody then played through the room and immediately, Sun felt mildly rejuvenated, enabling them to turn and snap their hand to their side once more, summoning their hammer.

"Thank you, Rasputin," Sun commented before tossing their hammer into a mass of Taken, startling the female Titan who snapped her head towards the Ex-Guardian. Not long after, Sun could sense the glare emit from behind the Exo Titan's visor, "I thought I told you –"

"I'm letting you fight aren't I?" The orange Exo interrupted, sensing another glare from the female Exo, "And if you expect me to stand idly by, then at least keep the enemies at bay so that they cannot attack me."

Sun then heard Carina let out a scoff, "Fine, but I'm not saving your ass again, you hear?"

The Ex-Guardian couldn't help but let out a snort at the younger Guardian's words, "Who says I'll need saving again?"

"Says your cocky ass."

"And you're the one to speak?"

Sensing the frown behind the younger Guardian's visor, Sun let out a snort before reaching up and pressing down on the Exo Titan's head, forcing her down before swinging their fist into a charging Knight's face, knocking it down onto the ground with a cry. Then before the female Guardian can let out a protest, Sun pried her shotgun from her hands and fired it into the fallen Taken's face, making it disperse in a mass of black and white. It was then Sun felt Carina's hands shove their hand from the top of her helmet, hearing her grumble under her breath as the smaller Titan snatched her shotgun out of the Ex-Guardian's hands.

"I can take of myself," Carina huffed before she turned and fired her shot gun into a nearby Taken before dashing away from the older Guardian.

"She has guts that one," Gaia whistled as they glided over their Guardian's shoulder, "Almost as much as you back when you were a Newborn."

Momentarily silent, Sun waited until ducked and kicked away an attacking Taken thrall to respond, "She holds potential as well. I wonder if the Empyreal Magistrate will let her forge her own hammer."

Almost immediately, Gaia let out a sputter, "You do realize that not 'anyone' can forge their hammer, Sun. You might be sending this young light to her death."

"Might'is the word, Gaia," Sun swung their fist into another Taken Thrall's face, bursting it into flames, "Did you not think we forged our own hammer without knowing the risks?"

"But you were 'naturally' born with Solar light, a light of old for Titans," Gaia retorted, "Carina is 'different', she has to attune to the solar light 'around' the forge to even create a Hammer of Sol to wield." They spun their back fins sporadically as they added, "Why else do you think there were not many Sunbreakers back in the days when we use to live in the Last City?"

Sun gave their Ghost a blank stare, "So what do you want me to do? Say nothing and let her potential go to waste?" They continued when Gaia went silent, "I say it's worth the risk. 'When' she picks up the Hammer of Sol, she 'will' make history, just like Saint-14."

Watching their Guardian once again turn and swing fist into another approaching Taken, Gaia heaved out a sigh as they stated, "I hope I know what you are doing."

"Fifty-Fifty chance."

"That doesn't make it any better, Sun."

Responding with a smirk, Sun said nothing else before snapping their hand to their side once more, summoning their Hammer of Sol before swinging it into an attacking Taken Thrall, sending its body upwards into a mass of flames.

"They're falling back!"

Hearing Angel's voice echo through the air, Sun turned their attention towards the entrance of the room and just as the Hunter had said, the familiar black and white forms of the Taken were rushing back into the safety of the hall, quickly disappearing between the twisted metal.

"Did we do it?" Hearing a tinge of hope in the female Titan's words, Sun couldn't help but shift their hammer suspiciously in their grip, their yellow optics narrowing at the entrance, "No, that can't be it."

That's when Sun felt the two younger Guardian's eyes on them, "What do you mean?"

"They continuously sent in forces and with their numbers, it should have lasted for days," The Ex-Guardian responded, "The Taken already have large number of their army, they wouldn't give up so easily especially since they had successfully broken in the room needed to either kill or recruit Rasputin into their ranks." Pondering on the events before them, Sun's yellow optics widen in realization, "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Hearing the nervousness in the young Hunter's words, Sun turned their attention towards the human Guardian and opened their mouth to respond. Before words can even leave their lips, the rumbling of the floor immediately caught the three Guardians' attention, snapping their gaze towards the entrance of the room as the shaking steadily grew stronger. Moments passed until the shaking came to a slow halt near the door and it was then, a clawed hand grasped the door frame. Taking in a shaky breath, Sun watched as a darkened Knight entered the room, having to bend down to fit through the door and when standing, easily dwarfed all three Guardians present. Its black and white armor pulsating with life, the large Taken Knight swung its blade before letting out a war cry, its volume loud enough to cause Sun to wince and stumble back, placing a hand onto one of their auditory sensors, "Shit."

"What the fuck is that?!"

"More than likely the one who is leading the assault, at least to this room," Sun responded to Carina's question, "That would explain why the smaller forces refuse to budge."

"So let me guess, kill that thing and we pretty much secure the bunker?"

"For this room at least. Frontal assaults like this usually have more than one lieutenant, especially for an area as expansive as Rasputin's bunker."

"Great, so even if we do kill this one, Rasputin still at risk if Aleeza and Akiva do not secure the Power core?"

"Precisely."

"Oh joy," Hearing Carina cock her shotgun once, Sun heard her ask, "So how do we kill this thing?"

Narrowing their eyes at the large Taken Knight, Sun took a step back as the Lieutenant took a step forward, "I see no shields so fire away, but usually enemies of that size will deliver a nasty blow if you get too close."

"So fire from afar?" Sun nodded at Angel's question, "Alright, I can do that, just give me cover."

That's when Sun's optics blinked, "Wait what?"

Turning their attention towards the human Guardian, Sun saw him jump onto the consoles and placing a clip into a sniper, "Oh of course, Hunters."

Sun heard Carina let out a snort, "If a hermit like you can still remember that Hunters have a good shot, then you shouldn't worry. Angel is second best sniper of our team."

The orange Exo turned their attention back towards the female Titan, "Second best? Who's the first?"

This earned the Ex-Guardian another snort from the younger Guardian, "Who else?"

At first puzzled at the female Titan's words, Sun let out a low 'aaah' when the younger Guardian's words finally clicked, "That's good that he never lost his touch."

"Let's get this show on the road!" Carina hollered out, startling the older Exo before the sound of a sniper being fired echoed through the air and almost instantly, the Lieutenant stumbled back with a screech. Seeing it stunned, Sun took it as the opportunity to start tossing their hammers, aiming directly at the head of the Taken Lieutenant to further keep it stunned. Hearing the rapid fire of an auto rifle ringing through the air, Sun couldn't help but let a grin spread across their metallic features, letting confidence rise within their chest at the sight of the Taken Lieutenant struggling to regain their balance, only to be stunned once again by sniper shots.

That was before the Lieutenant raised its sword, blocking one of Angel's shots. It was then everything seemed to slow down as the Taken let out a roar of rage, its screams causing everyone to flinch before raising its sword and slamming it onto the metal floors. Feeling the floor beneath them shake, Sun waited until the rumbling stopped, only for their yellow optics to widen as swirling black and white flames flashed around them.

"What the hell-"

Their words were lost as the flames flickered and the next thing Sun knew, they found themselves staring up at the ceiling of the Core room, their exasperated Ghost calling out their name several times as ringing echoed through their auditory sensors. Feeling a dull thud even through their numb sensors, Sun let out a groan as they pushed themselves up into a sitting position. Raising their hands to their optics, Sun flinched at their blurry vision, warning signals blinking within their sight, telling them that their visionary functions and spine are damaged. Squinting through the blinking text in their vision, Sun attempted to push themselves onto their feet only to collapse onto their knees, earning another cry from Gaia. Straining against the ringing to tune in onto their Ghost, Sun waited momentarily until it cleared enough to hear the exasperated voice of the gold and crimson Ghost, "I don't know what happened! The flames they just, exploded. I don't know how you survived it but the others-"

The realization that the flames could have affected the younger Guardians then popped into Sun's mind, causing the Ex-Guardian's optics to widen and fixated their blurring vision to their surroundings, letting out a low growl at the blinking text blocking their vision.

"Work, damn it," As if to empathize on their words, Sun curled their hand into the fist and rapped the side of their temple, earning a sputter from Gaia as white static flashed into their sights, only to blink away and the warning text now absent. This gave the orange Exo the opportunity to spot the younger Guardians, only for them to take in a shaky breath.

Gaia's words rang true as Sun could spot Carina not too far away from them, however, her helmet had been damaged during the blast, exposing her silver features. Many parts of her armor had been blasted away during the initial explosion or charred beyond recognition, the familiar star shaped form of her Ghost hovering above her. Angel, having worn less armor than his Titan comrade, had easily been tossed across the room from the consoles, parts of his body strewn not far from where he had slammed into the wall behind him. The white and red shell of his Ghost can be seen hovering nearby, her parts spread apart in a vain attempt to resurrect the Guardian. It was then a rumbling laughter echoed through the room, causing Sun to snap their attention towards the Taken Lieutenant, only to see it let out a grin before slowly making their way towards the core.

Dread sinking into their chest, Sun once again attempted to stand up, only to curse as they fell back onto their knees. The red blinking text again flashed in their vision, reminding them of their damaged spine. Gritting their jaw, the orange Exo glanced around until spotting a nearby console before forcing themselves onto their stomach and using their arms to crawl towards it.

" _I remember more of this place, Sun."_ Pluto's words echoed through the back of their mind as the orange Exo heaved themselves towards the panel below the console, tearing it open, _"and I remember what they had told us if Rasputin's bunker were ever to be infiltrated by intruders."_

"Sun? Sun what are you doing?" The Ex-Guardian can hear the agitation in their Ghost's words, "Sun, if you are going to do what I think you are going to do, don't. You do not have enough light to survive the after affects. You 'will' die."

" _If all defenses fail, including us Exo, there is a failsafe to ensure that 'no one' gets their hand on Rasputin's data. Although, this will cause the death of the Exo who uses this failsafe."_ Sun recalls Pluto pausing, turning his blind optics towards Sun, _"So I have a question for you, old friend. Do you ever plan on 'using' this failsafe?"_

Ripping out wires from the console, Sun took in a deep breath before heaving themselves onto their knees and then tearing open their chest plate, causing Gaia to scream in protest.

" _I have to admit, I have considered it several times,"_ Sun remembered responding, _"Although so far, Rasputin's defenses have kept everything out."_

" _And if his defenses were to fail?"_

"… _I have you to call for, don't I?"_

Pluto had sighed to their answer, _"You know as well as I do, that no matter how powerful Guardians are, there will be a power of Darkness that will be stronger. That includes 'you', Sun. You may be the most powerful Guardian, even with the shape that you are in, but even you have to admit that you have a limit."_ The Blind Hunter then leaned back in his seat, " _Traveler, even if the two of us work together, there will be a chance that 'both' of us will be taken down if you do call for me."_

Sun had paused at their old comrade's words, letting the silence momentarily permeate between the two before the orange Exo finally spoke, _"I do plan on using the failsafe."_

" _Sun-"_

" _Do not try to convince me out of it, Pluto, I have made my mind. Rasputin is not only my friend, but is my 'first' friend, my first 'companion'. I am not going to let 'anyone' harm him, even if it means giving up my life."_

The blind Exo had paused, contemplating on their words before a sigh of defeat escaped the Hunter's lips, " _Just do not jump to it so quickly. Use it only if the situation seems dire. We do not want to lose an infamous Guardian 'and' a Warmind simultaneously."_

" _Who says that Rasputin is going to fall with me?"_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Currently, Gaia and I experimented several times with infusing our light into song and it seemed to have worked. So I had a thought, what if I did the same with the failsafe? If there were to be beings of Darkness that infiltrate the bunker and I use my light to engage into the system…"_

" _Then no harm will not come to Rasputin."_

" _And others who are infused with light."_ Sun had finished, " _But the problem is, Gaia and I have yet to find a way to safely use this failsafe with my light. So in other words…"_

" _You will die."_

Letting the memories of their conversation with Pluto fade back into their mind, Sun gritted their jaw as they forced their hand into their chest, ripping out wires and plugs from within. Seeing the warning text flash in their vision of failing power and basic functions, the orange Exo proceeded to ignore the warnings and start connecting the wires from the console and from their chest.

"Sun!" Gaia forced themselves within the Ex-Guardian's field of vision, although this doesn't stop the Exo from continuing their work, "Stop! There has to be another way to stop it!"

The Ghost's words caused Sun to pause on their work and slowly narrow their gaze at the Ghost, "With two Guardians down and my injuries too severe for me to even move properly, what other 'plan' do you have in mind?"

When the gold and crimson Ghost failed to respond, the orange Exo let out a scoff before focusing their attention back onto connecting the two wires together, letting out a nod of satisfaction as the last two locked into place.

"As soon as this is over, resurrect Carina and her friend," Sun instructed, turning their yellow optics back towards Gaia, "and then lead them towards the Power Core. By the time the three of you reach there, my light should have exterminated any sign of the Taken within the Bunker."

"But-"

"When all of you are safe, give Carina my Mark," Sun continued, "then instruct her to head to Mercury where the other Sunbreakers are stationed. Instruct her to show them the Mark and that should allow her head to the Forge."

"Sun-"

"My weapons and my gear will be given to Pluto unless not compatible. This means Fabian Strategy and Immobius will be given to Carina or if she is not interested, into the care of Clan Galaxy."

"Sun-"

"Any pieces that cannot be used can be salvaged or sold for the sake of the rebirth of Galaxy. This includes all my current glimmer as well."

"Sun!"

"And Gaia." Sun watched their Ghost pause, their single yellow optic staring wide at their Guardian, "You, you will find a new Guardian."

"I told you before, no, I won't-" The Ghost's voice cracked, their shell shaking against their core as Sun gave them a gentle smile, "When you meet Pluto and Little Light, give them my Final Testaments, per custom of every Guardian."

They then held out their hand, a sign for Gaia to nestle into their palm, "Goodbye, old friend."

Watching the Ghost shake in their palm, Sun gave Gaia another soft smile before lowering their hand and turning their darkened gaze towards the Lieutenant, the latter of which had finally made it to the core, raising their sword to finish its job.

"You're coming down with me," Sun snarled before gathering all their remaining light within their chest and suddenly, they felt empty, weightless as the console before them drained them of their light. Taking in a shuddering gasp, white filled within orange Exo's vision before a screech of agony echoed through their auditory sensors followed by a final death throe. Feeling the floor rumble underneath them, Sun can only pray that they had completed the failsafe in time. As such, the Ex-Guardian attempted to turn their blurring vision towards Gaia, expecting the gold and crimson form of the Ghost to be in their vision.

However, instead, they were greeted by other Guardians, all of them gathered around the Ex-Guardian as their vision slowly faded. One of the Guardians, a Hunter with a black hood and adorned in green and violet armor, approached the fading Titan and knelt next to them before pulling their hood down and removed their helmet. Immediately, Sun was greeted with familiar orange optics and yellow metallic features, and the Ex-Guardian couldn't help but whisper, "Venus…"

Sun watched as the Exo gave them a huge grin, "Welcome back, Sun."

Then to Sun's grief and joy, each individual Guardian slowly removed their helmets, revealing members of Clan Galaxy.

Neptune-88

Earth -33

Mars -48

Mercury -11

Jupiter -50

Uranus -71

Saturn -67

All the founding members alongside the others they had recruited into their family, all gave Sun a gentle look as Venus held out a hand to the fading Ex-Guardian, "We've all been waiting."

That's when a sob escaped the older Guardian as they reached out and curled their hand around the Exo Hunter's. They have made the others wait long enough. Now they were finally home. With this thought in their mind, Sun closed their optics with a smile and sighed with content.

Xxxxx

The last thing Carina remembered were black and white flames flickering around her before followed by a deafening explosion and pain, hearing herself scream before everything went dark. As such, when the blurriness of her vision finally cleared to reveal Spears staring back at her with his violet optic, she couldn't help but take in a rasping gasp, startling the violet and green Ghost.

 _{"Take it easy. Slow breaths. Deep breaths. Okay, now slowly let it out."}_

Following her Ghost's instructions, Carina evened out her breathing long enough to push herself into a sitting position, just in time to see Angel materialize onto all fours, coughing as an exasperated Hope spoke to him, "Where…?"

The images of the Taken Lieutenant clicked within the female Exo's mind, causing her violet optics to widen before screaming out, "The Lieutenant! Where's the-"

 _{"Do not worry about it. I don't know how but Gaia and Sun were able to take it out alongside all the Taken present within the Bunker."}_

Hearing this, the female Exo gave her Ghost a bewildered look, "What?"

Spears shifted their shell up and down; a Ghost equivalent to a shrug _, {"I don't know the details. But from what Gaia informed me, Sun had used a fail-safe or last resort to take them out."}_

"A…fail-safe?" Carina repeated, earning a nod from her Ghost. It was then her stomach dropped, her violet optics glancing around the room until she spotted the familiar form of the orange Exo. They were on their knees, head bowed, body limp, as wires connected between their chest and a console. Seeing no lights active around the Ex-Guardian, the female Exo couldn't help but feel dread form in the pit of her stomach as she heaved herself onto her feet, slowly making her way towards the stilled form of Sun. Coming to a pause just short of the Ex-Guardian, Carina shakily reached out towards Sun's shoulder.

"Don't touch them!"

Startled by the outburst, the female Guardian turned her head in time to see Gaia, fury in their optic as they glided between her and Sun's stilled form, "Get away!"

Glancing into the Ghost's gaze, Carina couldn't help but grief build up in the back of her throat. Gaia's once vibrant yellow optic was now a color of dull white, "Gaia-"

"Go away!"

Stepping back from the Ghost's outburst, Carina waited until Gaia turned their back to the female Exo, watching their shell shake against their core.

It was then a hand clasped down onto the Exo Titan's shoulder, causing Carina to snap her attention to her side, only to look into Angel's darkened visor.

"Let's give them a moment," The Hunter sighed as he turned his gaze towards the grieving Ghost, "and then we'll look for the others."

Momentarily silent, Carina nodded once before turning her attention back towards Gaia, the gold and crimson's Ghost's sobs echoing through the silence.

* * *

 _The next chapter will conclude this Arc and there is one more Arc after. That means, the story is going to wrap up soon. Don't worry though! I have the sequel planned out and I will post up an announcement once I publish it!_

 _As such this brings up to those who submit Ocs. If your Oc did not make an appearance in this story, I 'will' bring them over to the sequel, so don't worry, they will make an appearance. Anyways, enjoy C:_


	39. Time for Mourning

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Time for Mourning**_

 _I. Did not. Expect this Chapter. To be this long. Honest! I was like 'Oh, this chapter should be enough to clear everything up'. I should have split it up into two chapters... Anyways, that's in the past now so here's a heads up.  
_

 _THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!_

 _Also an announcement. I am moving updates from Mondays to Wednesdays. The reason? My boss changed up my work schedule where I am working on the weekends (which is when I do most of my writing) but have two weekdays off. As such, this gave me little time to write on the weekends and the short deadline on the weekends didn't really help much. So I'm moving it on Wednesday to help myself a bit._

 _Anyways, thanks to The Ashen Titan, lazypersons, zantilis, Fin the Demi god, and TheSilverElite for your reviews! Appreciate it!_

* * *

Aleeza couldn't help but fall in a heap in relief. Just moments ago, Praxis, Malik, and Aleeza were nearly swarmed by the Taken, mainly thanks to the appearance of their Lieutenant. Large and swarming with Darkness, the Lieutenant had continuously spawned more allies for itself until the three Guardians were backed into the very corner that Aleeza had taken refuge, desperately defending not only themselves but for the Warlock's fallen twin. It wasn't until a blast of light nearly blinded the Guardians that they were finally given relief, the cries and screams of the Taken still ringing in their ears as they fell into a mass of black and white. Although Aleeza was curious on what had occurred, she was just happy that the danger seemed to be over.

A cough interrupted the female Warlock's thoughts, causing her to turn her attention towards the two Guardians, only to let out a groan at the sight of the Titan crossing his arms, "You want an explanation, 'now'?"

"Yes," Praxis responded sternly, earning a sigh from the female Awoken, "We may be free of the Taken right now, but who knows for how much longer? They might attack any moment for all we know. As such, I would like your 'explanation'. Now."

Grumbling under her breath, Aleeza had opted to just lie down and ignore the Titan, if it wasn't for the fact she heard the cock of his shotgun, "Alright, Darkness, calm down."

The female Awoken heard Malik snort in response, "Hey Praxis, weren't you a bit too 'forceful'?"

"Malik," Praxis sighed, earning a laugh from their Hunter companion as Aleeza couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle, "Enough, tell us what is going on before I fire this into your head point blank."

Her soft chuckles quickly dying, Aleeza narrowed her crimson eyes at the Exo Titan but nonetheless sighed, "As you know, Sun-7, the leader of Clan Galaxy, took refuge here after they and several others of their Clan found Rasputin. No sooner had they contacted the Warmind when their memories returned and with that, a renowned sense to stay with Rasputin." Seeing the two Guardians reel back at her words, the female Awoken took it as a sign to continue, "As such, Sun have been staying here in the Bunker, protecting the Last City and the remnants of humanity in the background."

"And the reason as to why they wanted to make everyone think that they are dead?"

That's when Aleeza hesitated at the Exo's question, her gaze locking onto the Titan's weapon before she responded, "Well, I am not a hundred percent certain, but it seems that they have a strong …dislike towards humanity?"

The female Warlock then saw not only Praxis but Malik also pause, their expressions hidden behind their visors as the Titan stated, "What? That does not make any sense."

"Well to make things more clear, they have a strong dislike towards 'organics'," Aleeza smiled nervously at how the two Guardians reeled back from her words, "Look, I know it doesn't make much sense, 'especially' with their history as one of the most powerful Guardians out there, but from what I can understand, Sun had negative experiences with organics and as such, lost their trust in them."

"If they held a strong 'dislike' towards organics, then why didn't they just ask Rasputin to destroy the Last City?" It was Malik who asked the question and once again, the female Awoken hesitated, shifting uneasily on the floor, "Well-"

"Aleeza?"

Jumping in her seat, the female Awoken turned around only to quickly drag herself to her twin's side, watching him groan as he pushed himself into a sitting position, "What happened?"

"You clonked out you idiot," Aleeza gave him a sheepish smile as he gave her a bewildered look, "I told you fighting and keeping up your Ward of Dawn was a dumb idea."

"But it kept the Core safe right?" The female Warlock watched her twin rub the back of his head before turning his gaze towards the Power Core, "Not a scratch."

Aleeza let out a snort at this, "That is because these two came in at the right time." The female Guardian then took the opportunity to nod her head towards Malik and Praxis, "Otherwise, I don't think the two of us would be talking like this."

Watching her twin fixate his attention onto the two Guardians, Aleeza can easily tell Akiva gave the pair a smile as he stated, "I should have stated this earlier, but thanks for the help when you guys came in." He then attempted to stand, only to let out a grunt as he collapsed back onto the floor, causing him to let out a sigh, "So let me guess? You two cleared out this room of Taken?"

That's when Aleeza turned her crimson hues towards the Hunter and the Titan, hesitating once more before turning her gaze back towards Akiva, "Well actually-"

"Sun was the one who cleared out the Bunker."

All eyes turned towards one of the entrances of the room, only for Aleeza to immediately pick herself up and throw herself into the familiar copper clad form of Carina, the latter of which stumbled back at the suddenly action before delicately wrapping her arms around the female Awoken's shoulders.

"You're alive," Aleeza heaved out as she unwrapped her arms from around Carina's shoulders and clasped her hands around the female Titan's cheeks on her helmet, relief clear on her pale features as she added, "Where's Angel?"

"I'm right here," The Hunter walked into view, only to be jumped by the female Warlock before he could say anything else, "Were you that worried?"

Unwrapping her arms from around the human Guardian's neck, Aleeza fixated her gaze into Angel's visor as she clasped her hands down onto his shoulders, "You two went into enemy territory, enemies we have never faced before, and you think that I wouldn't worry?"

"Good point," Angel laughed sheepishly as Aleeza let her grip fall from his shoulders. That's when the female Warlock noticed the Hunter shift his gaze over her shoulders, "Who are those two?"

Immediately turning around to face Praxis and Malik, Aleeza can easily see the way their shoulders went rigid and their tight grip on their weapons that they were immediately on guard, and not long after, she can hear Angel intake a deep breath, a sign for the human Guardian to ready himself. Aleeza even watched Carina flex her fingers, watching her arm twitch towards the weapons sheathed on her back.

In an attempt to relieve the tension in the air, Aleeza took it as an opportunity to place herself between the two pairs of Guardians, "Angel, Carina, this is Malik and Praxis. Malik. Praxis. Carina. Angel." Gesturing with her hands towards each respective Guardian, Aleeza waited with bated breath as the Guardians locked eyes with each other, their hands itching towards their weapons. After a few moments of silence, it was Malik who broke the silence, taking a few steps towards his fellow Hunter before holding out a hand, "Nice to meet you, Angel."

Seeing the younger Guardian glance down at the hand then back into the visor of Malik, Aleeza heaved out a sigh of relief when Angel tentatively reached out and wrapped his hand around Malik's, the two letting out a single firm handshake before relenting their grasp; a sign of an alliance between the two, even momentarily. No sooner had the Hunter's shook hands when Praxis and Carina approached each other and did the same, although Aleeza can easily see the two trying to overpower the other, from the way they held each other's hands in a death grip and their gaze refusing to glance away from each other's as their hands seem to conjoin. None the less, the Titans eventually relented their grip after a single nod; an agreement before they quietly walked back to their fellow Fireteam members.

"Alright," Aleeza's shoulders slumped in relief, hearing her twin laugh nervously behind her, "So…" The female Warlock turned her attention towards the younger Guardians, "If Sun cleared out the Bunker, where are they, shouldn't they be with you?"

Almost immediately, the two glanced away from the older Guardian, earning a bewildered look from Aleeza, "What? What is the matter?"

Watching Angel lift his gaze away from the floor, Aleeza gazed into his visor and almost immediately she understood, "What did they…?"

Her voice fading, Aleeza then watched Angel reach up and hook his fingers onto the corner of his hood, and shifting it just a tad bit to reveal the crook of his neck. Seeing the white patterns of an optic, Aleeza couldn't help but take several steps forward in an attempt to gain a clearer view, only to take in a sharp breath. It was Gaia, the Ghost's shell enclosed around their core as they sat miserably in the Hunter's hood. The small AI must have heard Aleeza's gasp for they glanced up at the Warlock, their once vibrant yellow optic now a broken white. Seeing the Ghost's gaze on her, the female Awoken half expected a look of disgust or hate, just as like they had done previously, but instead, to her surprise, Gaia instead heaved out a sad sigh before backing further into Angel's hood, completely hiding their gold and crimson form from the female Warlock's view.

"Sun gave up their life to ensure Rasputin lived," Angel explained as they released their grip on their hood, completely obscuring Gaia from the curious eyes of the older Guardians, "And in doing so, this lead to Gaia losing their…" The Hunter's voice faded, unable to finish his sentence, "Gaia told us that Rasputin will take care of Sun's body. A 'proper' burial were their words."

"Why not a vigil back at the Tower?"

"That's because I don't trust the Vanguard either."

Everyone present jumped as Gaia glided out of Angel's hood, their white optic narrowing at Malik, "Not after they let a 'murderer' get away from killing one of our clan members." They then let out a scoff, "After all, Galaxy didn't leave the City walls for no reason."

This earned the Ghost a bewildered look from the Hunter, "What?"

"Look, I bet we have a lot of questions but I think right now, we should leave." Aleeza butted in, "If Sun isn't here, then what's holding Rasputin back from killing us?"

That's when everyone present in the room paused, turning their attention towards Gaia, the latter of which let out a scoff as they stated, "If I ask him nicely, I 'think' he will let you all leave in one piece."

"Someone help me so we can get out of here," Akiva blurted out and immediately, Aleeza was at her twin's side, kneeling and wrapping one of his arms around her neck before wrapping one of her hands around his waist and heaving her brother to stand. That's when she turned and gave Praxis a blank look, "Help me so we can get out of here quickly."

Watching the Exo heave out a sigh, Aleeza waited until Praxis walked over to Akiva's opposite side and let the Titan lean against him, slowly leading the exhausted Titan towards the exit.

"Aleeza."

Coming to a pause, the female Awoken glanced over at the Hunter, watching him twiddle his fingers together as he stated, "If you do not mind, I would like to visit the House of Spirits." Aleeza must have stayed silent a tad long, for no sooner had the female Warlock opened her mouth to respond when Angel suddenly turned flustered, "I-i-it's been a rough day."

Seeing this, Aleeza couldn't help but smile sweetly, "Of course, they're your first family after all. Take as much time as you need."

"Wait? What?" The female Warlock turned her gaze just in time to sense the shocked expression from the male Exo, "After hiding all this? We are not letting any of you out of our sights-"

"I think the Vanguard can handle 'one' of us being absent," Aleeza snapped, startling the male Titan into silence, "And Angel has every right to visit the House of Spirits. He is the one who maintains the treaty between the Tower and the House after all."

Hearing the Exo Titan grumble under his breath, Aleeza grinned behind her visor before she focused her attention back onto Angel, "We'll meet you back at the Tower?"

"In a few days," Was the Hunter's response and Aleeza nodded her head once in understanding, "Just don't take too long alright? You know how the Vanguard gets."

Watching the younger Guardian respond with a nod of his own, Aleeza then shifted her brother's weight above her to gain a better grip and took a step forward, a sign for Praxis to do the same. Taking slow steps, one thing stayed in the back of Aleeza's mind; although she is glad to be out of the Bunker, the female Warlock is not excited to speak to the Vanguard.

Xxxxx

"Orion! Slow down!"

Ignoring the calls of his Ghost, Orion continued to dash down the halls of the Tower, easily shoving aside any Guardian that crossed his path as Trikxas struggled to catch up to the Titan.

News of Pluto returning to the Tower injured had spread amongst the Guardians, causing Orion to immediately jump up from what he was doing and head towards the Medical Wing. The others of the Clan had wanted to come as well but the Titan had ordered for them to stay down and wait for him to return; anyways, he highly doubts Matt will appreciate a group of young Exo Guardians barging into his Wing and making a commotion. The only one he let accompany him was Olkar, the male Eliksni casually following the Exo Titan when he dashed out of the room; he may have told the others to stay but he didn't say anything about the Vandal specifically, especially since Olkar was part of the 'family' but not necessarily the Clan itself.

Finally making his way towards the Medical Wing, Orion dashed down the hall, brushing past members of the staff who let out cries of surprise or called out to the young Guardian to stop only for their words to be ignored. Making it to the end of the hall, Orion barged into the nearest door, "Pluto!"

Almost immediately, all eyes turned towards the cyan Exo, causing the Titan to shift uneasily where he stood. Minus Orion, there were two others present in the room with the Hunter; one was the familiar white clad form of Matt, the Medic's brown hues blinking several times in surprise at the Exo Titan's sudden entrance. The other occupant of the room, a female Warlock adorned in purple and black armor accented in white and gold minus the helmet, is someone new to the younger Guardian; although the way she narrowed her blue-violet eyes through her blonde strands was enough to send a message to Orion that she was not happy about the younger Guardian's intrusion into the room. Pluto himself had been laid out on a bed, the head placed up at an angle to let the Exo sit upright as Nix's light beamed on his right side and to Orion's surprise, his optics were a vibrant red, an occasion where Orion only saw one other time.

" _Time cannot be changed, newborn, unless Pluto had went to the source of time itself, where the vortex of time meets and convolute into its source."_

Although relieved that Pluto had returned 'mostly' unharmed, the echoes of Vex Clad Titan echoed in the back of the younger Exo's mind, causing his chest to tighten and forcing him to take in a shuddering breath. Fixating his pink optics onto the dark clad Hunter, Orion couldn't help but fidget under Pluto's red gaze, the latter of which tilted his head in bewilderment at the Titan's sudden silence.

" _Pluto-99 have met with the Vex and taken some 'time' from them, giving him the success to revive his old clan."_

"Orion?"

His name snapping him out of his thoughts, Orion tore his gaze away from Pluto and instead paused onto Matt, the Medic's words failing to drown out the echoes of Alexander's words ringing in the back of the young Exo's mind, "I do understand that Pluto is your Clan leader but please tell me that you have a good reason for barging in here and causing a scene."

Narrowing his pink optics at the retired Guardian, Orion couldn't help but glower at the Medic as he responded, "What? I can't be worried about the well-being of the one that practically tended to me since my resurrection?"

"No need to cause a scene on your way here," Matt retorted, earning another glower from the Exo, "Well how about I grab you by the scruff of your neck and –"

"Orion."

Snapping his attention back onto the Exo Hunter, Orion couldn't help but doubt linger in the back of his mind, Alexander's words now echoing loudly in his head as Pluto added, "Is there something you want to ask me?"

Almost immediately, Orion's pink optics slowly widen, reeling back at the older Guardian's question before he stuttered, "W-well no really but-"

"Myra. Matt. Can you please leave the room so Orion and I can speak privately?"

"What?" The blonde Guardian narrowed her violet eyes at the injured Exo, "But we were in the middle of-"

"I will fill in the rest of the information to the Vanguard when I get the chance," Orion can tell from the way the Warlock's gaze harden that she wasn't pleased with the interruption, "For now, you can just report in with what you have."

"Now why should I-"

Almost immediately a low rumble emitted through the room, causing all eyes to glance over Orion's shoulder only to recognize the white and silver clad form of Olkar standing behind the younger Exo, his four luminescent eyes narrowing at the Medic and the female Warlock.

"Private chatter. Give them time. Or I will." Although his sentences were short and choppy, the way Olkar let out another growl was enough to convince the two Guardians, although Myra gave the Vandal a narrowed glance before she followed the Medic out of the room. Stepping out of the way as they exited, Orion watched Olkar turn his four luminescent eyes towards him and gave him a single nod before turning his eyes towards Trikxas, muttering out words to the female Ghost and then following the two Guardians outside, respecting the two Exos privacy.

"What did he say?" Orion blurted out the question before he can stop himself, causing Trikxas to turn her single optic towards her Guardian. However, instead of responding, she lifted her shell; a Ghost equivalent of a smile, "What did I say before? Learn the tongue of the Eliksni if you want to know what Olkar and I are saying."

Grumbling as Trikxas turned and shut the door, Orion suddenly became alert when a cough echoed through the room, causing the young Exo to turn and refocus his attention back onto Pluto, the latter of which kept their red optics on the Titan.

"Your question?" Pluto asked, "And don't you dare say you don't have one, Orion. You're easy to read."

Shutting his mouth immediately, Orion's shoulders slumped in defeat, fidgeting back and forth on the soles of his feet as he glanced over to Trikxas, only to receive a shrug from the female Ghost. Turning his pink optics back towards the Exo Hunter, Orion took in a shuddering breath and then opened his mouth to speak.

"Is this about the rumors?"

Orion paused, "You… knew?"

The younger Exo watched Pluto give him a sheepish smile, "What do you expect? When you have no use of your sight for several years, your hearing attunes to your surroundings better. It wasn't hard to hear the whispers when I walk by, despite their best attempts."

"So, you know the rumor where they say that… you…did a deal with…the Darkness to bring the others and I …back, right?"

That's when silence permeated between the two Guardians, causing Orion to shift nervously as Pluto's blinked several times, his red optics flickering from the action. To the younger Exo, it was unsettling seeing Pluto with his optics active and well, having gotten use to the white plating that covered his gaze during his year of being resurrected. He felt like those red optics can see 'through' him, reading his every single thought and action as if he were an open book. True, he had only seen them on one other occasion, back when he was just a freshly reconstructed newborn, but it was enough to permanently sear into the younger Exo's memory.

Hearing the Exo Hunter sigh broke the young Titan out of his thoughts, fixating his pink optics back onto Pluto, only to blink as the latter leaned his head back against his seat, his optics closed, "Of all the rumors you have to hear, it had to be that one, the most ridiculous of them all."

Orion blinked, "What?"

Pluto opened his optics and fixated his gaze back onto the young Exo, "Do you honestly believe that I made a deal with the Darkness? The being that took my first family away from me? The 'thing' that took away my one and true love?" Orion watched as the Exo Hunter shifted in his seat, "I would 'never' make a deal with that 'thing', the 'monster' that took everything away from me."

The hate and disgust spilling from the older Guardian's words was enough to let the last lingering doubt to fade from the back of his mind and the Vex Titan's words slowly dissipating from his thoughts, "So it's not true then? You making a deal with the Darkness?"

Almost immediately, Pluto recoiled from the younger Exo's words, "What do you think? Of course not! Why would you –" That's when the older Exo paused, his red optics blinking in slow realization, "You, have doubts?"

That's when Orion lowered his gaze to the floor in shame, wringing his hands together as he muttered, "It's just, after so long with no new recruits and then suddenly gaining one a month, it just sounded suspicious." The cyan Exo then lifted his gaze off the floor and fixated it back onto the Exo Hunter, "You know what I mean?"

Watching Pluto go silent once more, Orion fidgeted where he stood as his pink optics scanned the older Guardian in a vain attempt to read him.

"Do the others know?" Startled by the dark Exo's question, Orion reeled before responding with a single nod, causing Pluto to heave out a sigh, "How are they faring?"

"Better than me," The cyan Exo blurted out, earning a blink from the older Exo. Noticing this, Orion quickly added, "Io and Cosmos were able to deter majority of the doubt but I am not a hundred percent certain that they were able to dissipate it completely." He hesitated before he added, "Especially the most recent members."

Watching Pluto nod his head once in understanding, Orion then saw the Exo Hunter turn his attention towards Nix, the latter of which had just stopped beaming his light into the Exo Guardian. The cyan Exo then watched Pluto raise his right hand, flexing his fingers several times before turning it over, as if to admire it before placing it into his lap.

"Do I always have to keep an eye on you guys?" At first taken back by the older Exo's words, it took Orion a few seconds to process the teasing tone in Pluto's voice, earning a bewildered look from the younger Exo as Pluto added, "Especially from suspicious Guardians?"

Immediately a pout formed onto the younger Exo's metallic features, "No." He then crossed his arms and turned his optics towards the floor, "It would be nice if you were 'always' there with us though. After all, I am the oldest, and a 'one and a half' year old can't really do much when you're not around."

A snort was the answer he earned although when Orion lifted his gaze back towards the older Exo, the Hunter's optics were soft and gentle, only made more so when he spoke, "Well, then I'll devote all my attention to the Clan then."

This caught Orion's attention, "What do you mean?"

"It means I am leaving Fireteam Redacted."

The cyan Exo's pink optics widen in surprise, "What?" Stumbling over his words, Orion managed to stutter out, "But the others-"

"They will understand." Pluto gave the younger Exo a small smile, "All of you need guidance, especially at such a young age." Seeing the older Exo turn his gaze towards Nix, Orion watched the viridian Ghost bob once before Pluto fixated his attention back onto the Titan, "The others will understand once I speak to them."

"Speaking of Fireteam Redacted," All eyes turned towards Nix, "There's an incoming frequency from Aleeza."

"Aleeza? So they're alright then?" Seeing Nix bob once more, Orion then heard Pluto state, "Let it through."

Watching the Ghost bob up and down, Orion watched Nix twirl their parts once before white noise echoed through the room only to slowly clear moments later, "Pluto? Pluto, you there?"

"I can hear you loud and clear," No sooner had the Exo Hunter responded when a sigh of relief echoed through the room, "What happened? Did you not get Akiva's message earlier?"

"Oh I did," A sheepish smile then flashed onto the Exo Hunter's metallic features, "Just got into trouble with the Taken when I got there."

"You're hurt!?"

"I'm alive," A scoff then emitted from Nix's coms, "Well, that's one less death to be avoided."

Almost immediately silence permeated through the room and Orion watched Pluto's red optics widen, "Who?"

Aleeza must have realized her mistake, for the coms went silent, the sound of Nix's coms buzzing permeating through the air, "Who!? Aleeza!"

"…I am so sorry, Pluto," The female Warlock's voice was hardly a whisper, "We were able to protect Rasputin but Sun…we're so sorry."

That's when Orion heard Pluto take in a sharp breath, his hands gripping together tightly, "What about Sun?" Doubt could be heard in the Exo Hunter's words, his form shaking as Aleeza confirmed, "Sun…they're gone, Pluto. They're gone."

Silence once again permeated through the room although this time, Orion shifted nervously once again, keeping his pink optics on his Clan Leader. Pluto's optics were wide his shock, his mouth opening and closing as if to form words but nothing came out. Finally, Orion heard the Exo Hunter heave out, "Orion, go back to the others. Tell them that I am alright."

The cyan Exo hesitated, "But-"

"Now!"

Jumping at the sudden raise in volume of the Exo Hunter's words, Orion fumbled for the door, immediately exiting when it opened. The last thing the Titan heard as the door closed behind him was the sobs of his Clan Leader.

Xxxxx

Ace hated it when Ianos turns quiet, especially after receiving news of a comrades passing. It was just moments ago that the Awoken Warlock was reading through and reviewing reports with Petra when Akiva's voice rang through Ace's coms, telling them the news of Sun's passing. Silence had passed between everyone present in the room before Ianos yelled for everyone to leave, leaving many of the Awoken Guards bewildered and confused as they exited. Now he sat upon the throne, his glowing orange hues staring off into the distance while Ace hovered nervously nearby.

"I have to go back."

Ace couldn't help but let out a choke, "You do know that the Vanguard will hear of Sun's passing. If you head back now, they 'will' have questions for not only you, but the rest of Fireteam Redacted." Scrunching their parts together, the Ghost then added, "Stay here and let things blow over for a while, wait until things calm down."

The Ghost then saw Ianos tap his fingers against the arms of his seat in contemplation, taking in the words of his companion before the Warlock shook his head, "I have to go back."

"But Ianos-"

"So I can properly mourn." Ace paused at the Awoken Warlock's words, "I can't do it here. In 'foreign' territory." Ianos then brushed his fingers through his dark azure strands, heaving out a tired sigh as he added, "I think it is about time we leave anyway. Mara and Uldren did say that I would only 'temporarily' take the throne until a replacement can be made."

The black and orange Ghost blinked at this, "But who's going to replace-"

"Petra seems to know what she's doing," Ianos interrupted, ignoring how his Ghost recoiled at his words, "Not only does she have the qualifications to take on the throne, she and the other Awoken are also on the lead on finding Uldren. Who knows? The Sov family might be able to take back their seat of power. But for now…" Ace watched the Awoken Guardian turned his exhausted gaze towards them and gave them a strained smile, "Shall we head back and visit Bibi?"

Reeling back at the old nickname for the orange Exo, Ace couldn't help but glide closer in comfort as tears formed in the edges of the Guardian's eyes, "Let's go home."

Xxxxx

" _Take this Mark and bring it to Mercury. The Sunbreakers will take it from there."_

That was all the gold and crimson Ghost said before they glided off towards Akiva's ship, apparently, a sign to Carina to venture to the Vex Planet on her own. She had considered telling the others but instead, the female Exo had stated she had something to do before changing course, much to Praxis' chagrin. Now letting Spears take control of the ship, Carina sat silently in her seat, fingering the yellow cloth she held in her hands. She recognizes the symbol of the Sunbreakers, the orange hammer clearly visible against the yellow background however, the edges of the Mark were frayed and any other sign of the design were all but faded, revealing its years.

"Sun must have been part of the faction for a long while," Carina stated as she lifted her violet optics towards Spears, the violet and green Ghost bobbing once as he acknowledged his Guardian's words, "I mean look at it, it's hardly holding together." Fixating her gaze back onto the faded cloth, the female Titan then asked, "Wonder why they left the Sunbreakers."

 _{"Well they did have Clan Galaxy to look after."}_ Spears stated, not once turning his violet optics away from the controls, _{"Not only that, it seems Sun still keep in contact with the Sunbreakers from the way Gaia nonchalantly told you to head to Mercury."}_

Brushing her fingers against the fading symbol of the Sunbreakers, Carina momentarily stayed silent before stating, "Do you think I have a chance to wield the Hammer of Sol? That I have a chance to attune to solar light?"

Silence once again permeated between the pair, with nothing but the sound of the ship's engines echoing through the cockpit.

 _{"You have potential, I have to admit."_ _}_ Spears broke the silence, _{"Still, I cannot help but be concerned. Not all Titans can attune to Solar light easily; there even have been reports where some even died by trying to attune the light around the Forge in a failed attempt to grab a Hammer of Sol."}_ The Ghost hesitated, _{"There's a chance you might not be able to successfully attune to the Forge as well."}_

Once again grazing her fingers on the symbol of the Sunbreakers, Carina took in a deep breath before a smile spread across her silver features, "A challenge then?" The female Titan lifted her gaze towards her Ghost, her optics twinkling with curiosity and confidence, "Then I will accept."

 _{"Oh Traveler, there you go."}_

Laughing at her Ghost's words, Carina stood up from her seat before reaching down and untying her current mark – a simple pelt from a wolf she had killed on her first lone patrol – from her waist before delicately placing it on her seat. Then she then hooked the edges of Sun's mark in place of it, letting it dangle down to her knees before she admired it, leaning out a leg to gain a better view of the Mark before nodding once in satisfaction.

"Do you think this will be a better way to present it than simply showing to them?" She asked, turning her violet optics towards Spears.

The violet and green Ghost simply lifted their shell up and down, _{"Perhaps. I'm polarizing the windows."}_

Giving Spears a bewildered look, Carina only understood the Ghost's words when a blinding light flashed into view, causing the female Titan to lean back and cover her optics with her arm.

 _{"It's safe to look now."}_

Slowly lowering her arm, Carina blinked several times before focusing her attention onto the window of the cockpit, recognizing the darkened glass as she leaned against the controls, "Damn, was that the sun?"

Spears bobbed his core once, _{"Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Only makes sense that we are able to see it before we even land."}_

Admiring the blocks of Vex technology that passed through the window of her ship, Carina couldn't help but lean in closer, practically lying on top of the controls in an attempt to gain a better view of the broken towers around them. The female Exo then heard the male Ghost chuckle at this, _{"We'll get the opportunity to sightsee once we land, Carina."}_

Carina couldn't help but let out a scoff, "You sure about that? From what I heard, the Sunbreakers aren't exactly happy with strangers 'visiting' their Forge, especially to gain a Hammer of Sol." Pushing herself away from the controls, the female Guardian then added, "What makes you think that once we land, that the Sunbreakers won't attack us on sight?"

It was Spears' turn to let out a scoff, _{"And you call me pessimistic?"}_

"Shut up."

Letting out another laugh, Spears slowed their ship down, causing it to come to a slow halt before turning around and faced the young Guardian, _{"Ready?"}_

Seeing his Guardian smirk, Spears then watched her nod once, a sign for him to glide over and materialize her copper helmet over her head and materializing into her helmet. No sooner had they done this, when Carina reached up and tapped the side of her helmet several times and in response, Spears let out a few beeps and squeals; a sign for each other that they were safe and secure. No sooner had they performed their little signal when Carina let the familiar buzzing sensation overwhelm her senses, white filling her vision before the sensation of freefall followed. Instinctively, Carina squared out her feet, letting it take the brunt of the fall as the familiar veins and patterns of Vex technology filled her vision, the sun's light reflecting off the towering complex.

Lifting a hand to shadow some of the sun's light from her visor, Carina let out a small whistle, "Damn, I knew the sun was huge but this big? It dwarves Earth so easily."

 _{"Don't get distracted."}_ Spears reprimanded, earning a pout from the female Guardian, _{"We don't know what's going to happen once-"}_

The familiar sound of rushing footfalls reached Carina's audio receptors and immediately the female Titan leaped to the side, hearing the familiar thundering crack of a failed shoulder charge echo through the air. Rolling back onto her feet, the female Guardian glanced up at her attacker, only for her shoulders to slump.

"Oh come on!" She threw her arms up into the air as her opponent, a male Titan adorned in black and silver Pandion armor, easily towered over her, "Why is everyone fucking taller than me!?"

 _{"Because you're only four foot ten, Carina."}_

"Oh shut up, Spears."

Watching her opponent crack his fists, she then watched with wide optics as familiar solar light flickered around his shoulders; a sign of him attuning to the light, "Oh shit."

A familiar resounding 'clang' then echoed through the air, causing Carina to immediately jump and activating her lift, narrowly dodging a thrown hammer, "Fuck off!"

Letting arc light flicker around her arms, Carina gathered all the light into her fists before she leaned back and launched herself towards the attacking Titan. With a resounding slam, the structure beneath her shook as arc light cracked around her, smoldering anything within its vicinity. Taking in a deep breath, the female Guardian then pushed herself into a standing position, only to throw her arms down in shock and anger as her opponent landed a safe distance away.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you fucking dodged that!?"

"I dodged it."

Carina couldn't help but twitch at the Titan's comment, glaring at him through her visor; she doesn't have to see through his visor to tell that he was smiling, "Hahaha, you think you're so funny?"

Instead of responding, the Titan instead summoned another hammer, causing Carina to let out a groan as she quickly rolled her shoulders and charged. This action didn't seem to sit well with Spears.

 _{"Carina? What are you planning? Carina? Carina! Oh darkness! Carina what are you doing!?"}_

Taking in another deep breath, the female Exo ignored the protests of her Ghost and waited until her opponent tossed his hammer before sliding down onto her knees and leaned back. It was then the solar hammer entered her field of vision; the patterns of the weapon clear to her even with the flames obscuring it. With the Hammer of Sol safely out of the way, Carina then took the opportunity to leap back onto her feet and dash towards her opponent, letting arc light charge through her arms. Seeing her opponent reel back from her action, she then saw him snap his hand back for another hammer but Carina had already closed the distance. Leaping forward, Carina slammed her arc filled fist into his helmet, watching with satisfaction as the light surged forward and cracked through his visor, shattering it as she sent him flying.

Pumping her fist into the air with a small 'yes', Carina was quickly disappointed when the Titan quickly rolled onto his back and then pushed himself back onto his feet, shaking his arms as if the hit was nothing more a hindrance. Although watching him toss off the remnants of his helmet, Carina couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of her.

The Titan is a human (not much to the younger Guardian's surprise) and looks young, to her looking around Angel's age, maybe a tad bit younger. With hazel eyes against light skin and dark brown wavy hair, Carina couldn't help but find him a bit attractive; maybe if she asks Aleeza, she could spend one night with the man. Although this was quickly tossed to the side when Carina had to dodge another hammer.

"Fuck you!" She cursed as the female Titan rolled back onto her feet and charged, arc light once again crackling around her fists. However to her surprise, her attacker charged towards her as well, solar light flickering around his wrists. Gritting her jaw, Carina then let out a roar cry as the two slammed each other's fists into the other only for a white light to flash into her vision and feeling her feet fly out from underneath her.

Feeling her back collide with a hard structure, Carina took in a deep breath before the edges of her vision cleared, the ringing in her auditory receptors slowly clearing to Spears' voice, _{"Carina! You alright?"}_

"Honestly, no," Carina groaned as she placed her hands on the floor only to pause when her gaze locked onto the barrel of a pulse rifle. Following the body of the gun upwards, the female Titan let out another groan at the sight of the silver and black clad Titan, "Really?"

Saying nothing, the Titan simply tilted his head to one side before a gentle laugh escaped him and he lowered his weapon, signaling to Carina to give him a bewildered look before he stated, "Well done."

Watching him sheathe his weapon onto his back, Carina couldn't help but reel when the Titan held out his hand; a gesture for her to accept his help. Glancing back and forth between his hand and his visor, Carina slowly and carefully grasped her hand around the Titan's; in other words she placed a vice grip in his hands to the point where his hands easily crushed in her palm. To her disappointed, the Titan only flinched as he helped her to her feet but she got her reward when she released her grip only to see the male Guardian shake his hand and let out a low hiss as he clenched it tightly in his good hand, "Is this how you greet all Guardians?"

A dark glint flashed in the female Guardian's optics, "Only if they beat me in a fight."

She then watched the Titan pause, his hazel gaze blank on his light features, "Right." He then coughed into his fist as the familiar star shaped form of his Ghost materialized into view, quickly getting to work on his ruined hand, "Anyway, the Empyreal Magistrate had summoned me here to test you and all I have to say is this; you passed."

"Excuse me?" Carina gave the Guardian a disbelieving look, "Empyreal Magistrate? A test? For what?"

She only received a grin from the Titan, "Take your best guess."

It was then Carina watched the Titan lift his hand and flexed it several times before turning his hazel gaze towards his Ghost and nodded once, "Thanks Lux."

"You are very much welcome." The Ghost chirped before materializing back into his Guardian's armor, letting the silver and black clad Titan to fixate his gaze back onto the young Guardian, "Follow me."

Waving the female Titan over, the male Guardian turned and simply headed deeper into the Vex made complex, leaving Carina obviously confused and in disbelief.

"What do you think Spears? Should we follow?"

 _{"Well considering Gaia told us to head to Mercury to gain a Hammer of Sol and we happened to bump into a Titan that wields one, well. I say we take it."}_

Blinking several times behind her visor, Carina let out a shrug before casually following the male Guardian, speeding up her pace until she was at the same steady stride of the obviously taller Titan.

"The name is Validus, just in case you were wondering," The human Guardian stated, immediately gaining the female Exo's attention, "and yours?"

Carina took this opportunity to cross her arms, "Carina-23. Just Carina."

"An Exo then?" The female Guardian frowned at his question, "Is that a problem?"

"No, no," Validus must have sensed the female Exo's glare for he quickly held up his hands in defense, "I was just curious is all. Because most of the time, Exo aren't exactly this… small." He then paused, "No offense."

Although Carina let out a groan at this, she simply shook her head and heaved out, "None taken. Can't exactly help it, I was built this way to easily flank enemy troops." She shrugged, "The smaller the target, the harder it is for them to spot you."

"Well that would explain how you dodged my Hammer of Sol earlier although I have to admit, that was a bit daring."

The female Guardian couldn't help but let out a short laugh, "Well, the best way to catch an opponent off guard is to do the unexpected. And what better way to do that than rush towards a Hammer of Sol?"

This in turned, earned the younger Guardian a chuckle from the taller Guardian, "I will try and remember that the next time I am in the Crucible."

Letting a smile spread onto her silver features, Carina turned her optics forward, only for her to smile to immediately dissipate. Both she and Validus had made it to the other end of the structure and out in the horizon stood more Vex made structures, illuminated by the sun's presence behind them. But, what caught her attention the most was the area in front of Carina. The end of the structure held a circular platform, as if to let those who made it this far a view of the sun. However in the middle of the circular structure hovered a ball of flame, it's flickering lights circling around itself as it remained in place.

Carina turned her gaze towards Validus, "What is that?"

"That is the Forge, Guardian."

Hearing an unfamiliar voice ring through her auditory receptors, Carina immediately twirled around as her hands immediately reached for her weapons sheathed onto her back, only to pause as Validus held up a hand.

"She is no threat," Was all Validus said as he lowered his arm, signaling to Carina to force her arms back to her side and inspect the newcomer, the latter of which slowly approached them, her arms folded behind her back.

Adorned in yellow armor with symbols of what appears to be the sun imprinted on the shoulders and helmet, Carina can tell from her armor that she is a Titan, although the way she took steady steps and held her head held high gave her the regal air of a Warlock and held confidence equivalent to a Hunter's. Although this doesn't stop the female Exo from flexing her hands several times, steadying herself as the female Titan closed the space between them. It was then, the Titan turned her attention to Validus, "Thank you Validus, but I can handle the rest from here. You may leave."

Then to Carina's surprise, Validus placed a hand over his chest and bowed, "Of course, Empyreal Magistrate Ouros." The female Titan then watched Validus turn and gave her a smile before his helmet materialized over his face and disappeared into particles of atoms and matter. Waving her hand in the area where Validus had just stood to ensure that she wasn't being tricked, Carina then turned and glowered at the yellow clad Titan, "So you're this Empyreal Magistrate I keep hearing about?"

"Yes but you may call me Ouros, if you like," The Titan then casually strolled past Carina, causing the female Exo to turn and follow the Empyreal Magistrate, watching them stroll past the orb of flames and then stand at the edge of the circular platform, "So, Sun had finally passed?"

Carina recoiled at her words, "What? How did you-"

"Before Sun left the Sunbreakers, they said that they will pass their Mark onto a successor," Ouros turned and faced the younger Guardian, "but only once they know their life is coming to an end." Carina then watched the head of the Sunbreakers approach her once more, "Last I have heard, Sun had passed but I knew that was a lie when no Titan came to the Forge bearing their mark. Now, here we are." Ouros then nodded her head towards the Mark dangling around Carina's waist, "Also helps that Gaia sent a message saying that you were coming."

"So that's how you know when to send Validus to 'test' me?" Carina asked, earning a nod from the head of the Sunbreakers, "A test for what exactly?"

She then heard a scoff escape from the female Sunbreaker, "Do you think we let any Titan enter here? I test them to ensure that they are not only strong but also bold and are willing to take risks. You showed many of that traits when you fought against Validus." A chuckle then escaped Ourus, "Using only your fists against a Sunbreaker? I have to admit you do not see that often."

Carina couldn't help but let annoyance tickle the back of her mind, "So I passed the test? Now what?"

Ouros' attention immediately snapped back onto the female Titan, "You are Sun's successor. You bear their Mark. It only makes sense that you take up their path as well." The female Sunbreaker then took a step to the side, gesturing with one hand towards the ball of flames, "And to take up their Mantle."

Glancing back and forth between the flames and Ouros, it took Carina several moments before it finally clicked, "Wait? 'That's' the Forge?"

When Ouros nodded once, Carina couldn't help but reel back, "But, how am I supposed to forge a Hammer of Sol with 'that'?"

"You figure it out, Guardian."

Glaring at the female Sunbreaker, Carina focused her attention back to the Forge before heaving out a sigh and rolling her shoulders, "Well here goes nothing." Taking slow and cautious steps towards the Forge, it was only when Carina held out her hand towards it that she realized that the head of the flames were irregular, not natural, and it took the female Exo only a moment to realize that the flames were in fact Solar Light. Both curious and in disbelief, Carina slowly brushed her fingers through the flames, going rigid as the flames immediately engulfed her hand. However, instead of pain, she felt warmth crawl through her fingertips and thanks to this, it prompted the female Exo to push her hand further in. With each layer of Solar light she shifted through, it felt different, unique to the female Exo as she caressed her fingers through the flames. It was only when she felt herself dig deeper when she recognizes a light, one she had just fought alongside with just hours before: Sun's.

Taking in a deep breath of realization, Carina then closed her optics, letting her hands dig deeper until her fingers encountered something solid, prompting the female Exo to let her fingers slide against the object until she familiarized herself with the handle. Enclosing her fingers around it, Carina then released some of her light, feeling it swirl around her wrists before encircling the flames, joining in with the many lights that had forged their own hammer. Then with a simple gesture, Carina twirled around, feeling her own Hammer of Sol leave the flames of the Forge while simultaneously the female Titan felt the warmth of Solar Light engulf her. Letting the flames swirl around her, Carina took the opportunity to glance down at her hammer, taking in its flickering form as she attuned to Solar Light.

The hammer itself looked basic in the young Exo's optics, to the beak of the bird of prey as its head to the diamond shaped patterns running down the handle. But yet at the same time, it was beautiful and powerful, strong enough to strike down foes and gave Carina a sense of invisibility. Tightening her grip around the handle of the weapon, the female Exo then took in a deep breath, closing her optics once more before feeling the solar light die around her and the Hammer of Sol dissipating from her grip. By the time she opened her optics, the light around her had faded and the hammer safely stowed away to be used at another time.

Hearing footsteps approach, Carina snapped her gaze towards Ouros, the latter of which came to a pause just short of the female Titan. Although her expression was hidden by her visor, from the way the Empyreal Magistrate's chest puffed out and her head held higher than before, Carina can tell that the head of the Sunbreakers was pleased.

"Sun chose well," She stated before bowing once, startling the younger Guardian as Ouros then added, "Welcome, Sunbreaker."

Xxxxx

Axtris couldn't help but bring her cape over her head in a vain attempt to hide herself amongst the crowd, lowering herself to the floor as her fellow Eliksni crowded around the makeshift ring that Sirahks had made last minute. It was nothing more than a simple circle cleared of stones and any other debris but it was enough to give Anikis and Inkolas the room to face each other, their four eyes glaring at the other.

Both of them were empty of any weapons including shockblades; even their capes were absent. The only reason they had on their armor was to support their life sustaining ether; Sirahks didn't want the two combatants suffocating during their little scuffle. Nonetheless, this didn't help Axtris nervousness at all, the female Eliksni only having gathered enough courage to make it the front of the ring only to sate her own curiosity. Pulling her cape tighter around her head, Axtris jumped when a hand touched her on the shoulder but as she twirled around, she instead locked into familiar blue hues, _"Vellak?"_

The Captain's four eyes beamed gently at the younger Eliksni, _"Did you think I would leave you to witness this yourself? If you need me to do 'anything', Axtris, then just say it."_

Nodding to her older littermate once, Axtris immediately turned her attention back onto Inkolas and Anikis when Sirahks' familiar form appeared through the crowd, although now empty of his shrapnel launcher; this doesn't stop him from towering above the other Eliksni however. The Archon Priest said nothing but instead straighten himself out, making himself easily taller than everyone present before letting out a single roar, letting it echo through the night. No sooner had his roars went silent when the two Vandals let out screeching cries of their own before charging into each other and Axtris couldn't help but cringe when the two collided, entangling themselves to the ground. Soon after, the screeching cries of the other Eliksni joined in as Anikis and Inkolas tussled on the ground, snarling and cursing at each other as they tried to gain an upper hand.

" _Does Kell Ixrsis know about this?"_ Axtris couldn't help but blurt out, earning the attention of her eldest littermate, " _I am not certain snarling and screeching during the night will hide us from our enemies."_

" _I am not certain if Kell Ixrsis knows about this 'challenge'."_ Vellak rumbled out, earning a wide-eyed look from the female Eliksni, " _But do not worry about our enemies finding us. I had spoken to Sirahks earlier and they had set up guards near the borders of our home. If anyone suspicious gets close, they 'will' be found."_

Pulling her cape tighter around her head, Axtris nodded once, letting the low rumble from her elder littermate lull the worry in her chest to rest as she fixated her four eyes back to the two Vandals only to reel back at the sight before her; Inkolas sat upon Anikis' chest, his four arms pinning the latter's arms to his side as he snarled and struggled underneath him. The female Vandal couldn't help but blink at this, half expecting Anikis to jump back onto his feet and shove Inkolas off his chest. But instead, she only watched in surprise as Inkolas easily kept the male Vandal pinned, showing no sign of exertion as he casually tilted his head at the struggling Vandal beneath him. Moments passed before Axtris had to admit quietly to herself that things were getting quite dull, especially when Anikis stopped snarling and cursing and instead focused all his energy into trying to buck Inkolas off, only for the latter to easily retaliate by shifting his positions to accommodate the action.

" _Enough!"_ It seemed Sirahks had gotten bored of the challenge as well, " _It is obvious that Splicer Inkolas had gained the upper hand. I hereby announce that Splicer Inkolas of House of Spirits victorious!"_

Screeching cries from the crowd of Eliksni erupted through the night as Inkolas stood up from Anikis' chest, watching the latter push himself into a standing position and brushing himself off. It was then Axtris noticed the narrowed glance that Anikis gave the Splicer before sauntering off into the crowd, quickly disappearing into the night. Blinking several times at the Vandal's action, Axtris turned her attention back onto Inkolas, only to freeze as she saw the male Eliksni's eyes on her, his head tilted as if waiting for a response. Pulling her cape over herself so that only her eyes were visible, Axtris waited until she heard Inkolas let out a scoff, turned his head away from her and disappeared into the crowd as well.

" _H'm, I believe he will claim you later,"_ Axtris jumped as Sirahks came to a slow pause next to her, his four eyes eyeing the Splicer curiously as he added, " _Perhaps when the dawn rises?"_

" _Sirahks,"_ Vellak gave the Archon Priest a blank look, _"That is 'years' ago now, we are not animals."_

The House Scribe only gained a simple shrug from the bigger Eliksni before he too dispersed from the crowd, disappearing into one of the many buildings that House Spirits had built. Watching her littermate shake their head in bewilderment, Axtris suddenly saw Vellak go rigid, the Scribe twirling around as his four luminescent eyes scanned the horizon.

" _Vellak?"_

" _There's a light nearby."_ Vellak rumbled out, causing Axtris to pause, " _What are the patrols doing? And why is this light so-"_

Almost as immediately as she seen her brother's guard up it quickly deteriorated, a look of relief flushing across her littermate's features as the scribe let out a gentle rumble, " _Pure One, if you are going to come and visit, there is no need to cloak yourself to get past the guards. They do know what you look like."_

Hearing her littermate mention the Hunter's presence, Axtris at first gave her brother a bewildered glance before turning her gaze towards the darkness and instantly, she can spot the rigid edges of a figure slowly approaching them, causing the female Vandal to quietly reprimand herself for being distracted.

" _I do this to ensure that your patrols pay attention,"_ Angel's form materialized into view, startling any nearby Eliksni, many of which let out squeals of surprise at the Guardian's entrance, " _And so far, I have only caught the attention of ten out of the twenty that you have put out."_

A heavy sigh escaped the eldest Eliksni, " _I'll inform Kell Ixrsis of this but for now, what brings you here, Pure One?"_

That's when Axtris noticed the bright air around the Hunter dissipate and for the first time in a long while, the air around him turned dull, disappointed, and grieve stricken. An air she hadn't sensed since the death of her sire. The female Eliskni was not the only one who have noticed this for Vellak approached the young Guardian and placed a comforting hand on the Hunter's shoulder, " _Come, we shall talk about it inside."_

Watching the Hunter nod solemnly, Axtris waited until Vellak and Angel took the lead before following behind the two, shooting any looks towards any Eliksni who wandered too close; there were still several members of the House of Spirits who do not completely trust the Guardians, at least, not a hundred percent. As the three entered one of the buildings, Axtris let out one last snarl of warning before shutting the door behind them.

Xxxxx

It was dark when the group made it back to the Tower; they had stayed longer in Rasputin's Bunker longer than what Akiva had anticipated. As such, when he and the other landed out in the middle of the Plaza, it was empty of life; Tess had closed up shop and even Rahool had left his spot near his tables to rest for the night. The only one present was Banshee-44, the old Exo giving the group of Guardians no more than a glance before turning his optics back towards the weapons on his table.

"Well, who wants to guess that the Vanguard are still up?" Aleeza's voice rang through the night air and as such, Akiva sensed the glare he and his sister received from the Exo Titan; he was still not pleased about not only Aleeza letting Angel head to the hidden quarters of House Spirits but also letting Carina go as well when she claimed she had something else to do. Akiva has a feeling that Praxis won't fail to inform the Vanguard about it.

"I am willing to bet that they are asleep," The human Titan turned his attention towards Malik, blinking when the Hunter reached up and removed his helmet, revealing dark skin and harvest gold hues. His dark strands combed up into a faux-hawk with shaven sides filled with scars, this did not deter his natural charming smile against his square but angled features; his smile aimed towards the female Warlock, "But I think I may have some 'time' to spare, if you know what I mean?"

Akiva watched his twin chuckle lightly, before she held out a hand, offering it to the Hunter as she stated, "Lead the way then, 'friend'."

"Malik," Praxis' warning tone was lost as the Hunter's face lit up from the female Warlock's response, quickly grabbing her hand and dragging her off towards the apartments, "…he's going to be the death of me."

Laughing nervously at the Exo Titan's words, Akiva then watched with mild curiosity as the Titan removed his helmet as well, revealing teal optics against black plating and green stripes following down the front of his 'nose', "I guess this means we won't be able to report in until the morning when the Vanguard is up and about." Praxis turned his teal optics towards Akiva, only for his gaze to glance over into the crook of his armor near his neck, "So what are you going to do about them?"

Blinking mildly in bewilderment, Akiva glanced down to his neck only to mentally slap himself for his forgetfulness; there, in the crook of his neck, was Gaia, the Ghost having long ago powered down and rested themselves next to the human Titan's neck.

"They're going to stay with me," Akiva instantly sensed the doubtful look from the Exo Titan, "Look, I understand why you're so nervous about letting this Ghost stay here but Gaia has nowhere else to go, especially with their Guardian… deceased." Taking in a nervous breath, Akiva locked his gaze onto Praxis', "Let's just let them stay with me for tonight and when we meet the Vanguard in the morning, we'll think up of another solution."

Seeing the narrowed optics of the Exo slowly soften, Akiva waited until Praxis heaved out a sigh, "Fine, but if anything goes wrong, it's on 'your' head."

Giving his fellow Titan a smile behind his visor, Akiva nodded once to signify his understanding before Praxis turned and disappeared into one of the many hallways towards the apartments, prompting Akiva to go ahead and do the same.

"You sure it's a good idea to let Gaia stay with us?" Lex materialize next to Akiva's head, the yellow and white Ghost shifting their fins nervously as he added, "What if they try to escape when we're all asleep? What if-"

"Then they leave." Akiva heard Lex sputter next to him, "Gaia has every right to leave whenever they please. They have no Guardian and the Vanguard naturally do not have control over them. If they want to leave, then they leave."

"The Vanguard won't be pleased if that happened," Lex muttered out but nonetheless, the walk towards their quarters was quiet, even when Akiva entered the code into the pad next to the entrance and walked in.

"Akiva?"

Turning his attention towards one of the couches as the door slid closed behind him, Akiva's golden hues widen as the familiar form of Neve sat up on the pieces of furniture, rubbing her eyes as the human Guardian whispered, "Neve?"

Immediately removing his helmet and dropping it to the floor, Akiva rushed forward and knelt down next to the Warlock, the latter of which now sat upon the couch, "Were you waiting for me?"

"What do you think?" Neve gave the human Titan a sheepish smile, "When you told me you lied to the Vanguard but refused to tell me 'what' you were going to do exactly when out in the field, how can I not be worried?"

It was Akiva's turn to give his partner a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry." He then leaned forward and gave the female Warlock a kiss on the forehead before leaning back and adding, "Meet you in the bedroom?"

"Going to check on Ora?" Akiva watched the female Warlock let out a soft smile, "Alright, don't take too long. You know how he is when he wakes up."

Chuckling, the human Guardian nodded once before watching his partner heave herself out of the couch and with a yawn, headed down the hall towards their room. Watching her disappear into one of the doors and hearing it close behind her, Akiva took it as an opportunity to push himself onto his feet and tiptoe down the hall, and pushing open the door just right across from theirs. No sooner had he quietly shut the door behind him, a soft smile faded onto Akiva's pale features. Near the edge of the room near the window, was Ora's crib, the white bars making sure the sleeping child stays safe within his cradle. Tiptoeing towards the crib, Akiva leaned over the bars, his golden eyes softening at the sight of Ora asleep on his back, watching his son's lower lip twitch every now and then as he slept.

"You know, I never thought we would be in this position." Lex whispered, his golden optic also fixated onto the sleeping infant, "being a Guardian while being a father on the side; and your child, so beautiful."

Akiva in turned let out a quiet hush although the Ghost's words did not stop his soft smile from broadening. The smile quickly dissipated however, when Gaia's form hovered out of the crevice of Akiva's armor and glided just above the child, "Gaia? What are you-"

It was then Gaia's parts spread, illuminating the entire room to the point where Akiva had to immediately take several steps back and use the back of his hand in a vain attempt to block out some of the light. Soon, Ora's whimpers echoed through the room followed by his cries, prompting Akiva to immediately lower his hands and rush forward, reaching out his hand and tried to snatch the gold and crimson Ghost away from his child. Instead, his fingertips touched nothing but air and Akiva couldn't help but let out a curse and take several steps back as the light only seem to strengthen in illumination, causing Ora's screeches to increase in volume.

"What the Darkness is going on here!?" Neve's voice echoed through the room, her tone obviously frantic as rushed towards the Titan's side, grasping her hands tightly on his shoulders.

"I don't know," Akiva hissed out as took a step forward, his golden hues vainly squinting through the light.

However, no soon had he reached the side of the crib when the light immediately vanished followed by silence, causing Akiva to slowly lower his hands and uneasily glance into the crib. A giggle echoed through the room causing the rigidness in the Titan's shoulders to relax however, this soon dissipated at the sight before him; Ora seemed unharmed, his golden eyes beaming at the gold and crimson Ghost who hovered just out of the infant's reach, the child laughing as his fingers barely graze the Ghost's shell only for the latter to hover just out of reach. But what made Akiva so tense was the color of Gaia's optic. Just moments ago it was a sheen of white but now it was a shade of gold, just like the infant lying in the crib.

"Akiva," The Titan heard Neve take in a sharp breath, "Don't tell me…"

Instead of responding to his partner's words, Akiva instead fell to his knees, earning a cry of surprise from the female Warlock before tears welled in his eyes. Before long, he was weeping in Neve's arms.

* * *

 _Welp, that's the end of the arc! The next one will be up next week! :D  
_

 _Validus belongs to The Ashen Titan_

 _Myra, Praxis-16, and Malik belongs to_ _KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP_

 ** _The Ashen Titan_** _\- You are quite correct lol._

 _ **Lazypersons** \- I'm sorry lol. I didn't plan on Sun being well liked by some of the readers as such, imagine my surprise when I got a couple of reviews saying that they liked them lol. Anyways, that's one of the reasons why I titled this story 'Tormented' :D_

 _ **zantilis** \- The ultra knight? There's one on the dreadnaught? Is that a secret that I don't know about? lol  
_

 _ **Fin the Demi God** \- Thanks! Yeah Pluto was on his way from Venus but if you had read the previous chapter, he made it the Cosmodrome before he was injured. And yes, I recall you sending me an OC so I sent you a message for more information but I didn't get a response until now. _

_**TheSilverElite** \- I am SO sorry! I planned Sun's death since the very beginning so when I read a couple of reviews saying they like Sun I was like, "I'm sorry, but you're going to suffer in a bit." I would have planned up an alternative but then sequel to 'Tormented' wouldn't make sense without so I had to go with it._


	40. You Promised

**_Tormented_**

 ** _You Promised_**

 _I apologize for the late update. A mix of getting ready for Thanksgiving and being sick cut down on my writing time but I didn't want to not update this week, as I already had done that the week previously. As such, the reason for the late update lol  
_

 _Anyways, thanks to Lazypersons, zantilis, The Ashen Titan, and AAA for the reviews!_

* * *

 __Transcript Unknown__

 _Source: Ghost of Guardian Pluto_

 _Alias: Nix_

 __ Transcript of conversation between two individuals, Pluto -99 [u.p]and [Redacted] [u.e] __

 __Initiating transcript __

 _[u.e.1]: Why would the Vanguard let this slide?! They murdered him for Traveler's Sake!_

 _[u.p.1]: The humans cried 'accidental death', claiming that they were fooling around with a tool and –_

 _[u.e.2]: And the Vanguard believed it!? What about the Consensus!? What about the Speaker!?_

 _[u.p.2]: They took the humans side._

 _[u.e.3]: Bullshit!_

 _[u.p.3]: Believe me, [Redacted], I am just as upset as you are. For Darkness sake, the rest of the Clan is upset as well. Sun is speaking to the Speaker and the others as we speak._

 _[u.e.3]: I thought they were supposed to be on our side. I thought that they would believe us! Especially since we're out there everyday risking our asses while they sit back and stay safe and sound in their little offices like the cowards they are! Is it because we're Exo? Is it because we are metal and wires instead of flesh and bone?_

 _[u.p.4]: I can't answer that for you, [Redacted], you know this._

 _[u.e.4]: I… I cannot handle this. I cannot believe… Pluto I want to forget it all. I don't want to remember him anymore._

 _[u.p.5]: [Redacted], what are you saying? You know as well as I do that we took on a vow to never undertake a memory wipe once we entered the Clan._

 _[u.e.5]: Then I am leaving it! I'll just start over. Start a new life as a new Guardian here at the Tower. At this so called 'City'. Be naïve of the so called 'leaders' betrayal to the Clan._

 _[u.p.6]: … [Redacted]… Why would…_

 _[u.e.6]: I cannot go on without him. I cannot go on without Venus. But I also cannot neglect my duties as a Guardian to the last remnants of 'humanity'. Despite what the humans had done to Venus, there are others out there who deserve protection, those who are like Little Light._

 _[u.p.7]: …You know as well as I do that if you go through this, the Clan and I cannot make contact with you? And that you cannot make contact with Little Light?_

 _[u.e.7: I won't remember you so it won't matter. Just inform the Vanguard. The Speaker. The Consensus or whoever is in power. Tell them to ensure that you and the others should not make contact with me. So please, Pluto. Let me wipe my memory._

 __End Transcript__

Xxxxx

I have a bad feeling about this."

Turning her green optics at the Hunter beside her, Esther couldn't help but give her fellow Guardian a blank stare, "You 'always' have a bad feeling about everything, Luther." A smile quickly flashing onto her metallic features, she crouched lower and scooted closer to him, "The Vanguard entrusted us with this mission because we are one of the few Guardians that know the layout of the Ishtar Sink, 'especially' for one of the few Archives with information that we desperately need. Who knows, it might bring us closer to the city's Golden Age."

Watching Luther shift nervously in his seat, Esther waited as he glanced back and forth before he heaved out a sigh, "I don't know Esther, it's just, I really do have a feeling that something isn't right."

It was Esther's turn to heave out a sigh, "Look, Luther, we have been staking out this place for 'days', trying to find a way in 'without' either the Fallen or the Vex noticing us. The longer we stay here, the longer we are at risk at being caught." She then focused her optics over her fellow Hunter's shoulder, "and not to mention, I think our 'bodyguard' wants to go back to the Tower as well."

As if on cue, the Titan suddenly sat upright, wet moss and debris clinging to back of his armor as he let out a yawn, "I'm up, I'm up."

"Sorry for taking so long, Alyx," Esther chuckled, watching the Awoken Titan stretch his arms above his head as she added, "I bet you're itching to head back in time for Trials."

"Oh, it's fine," Alyx yawned out, "Jordan and Ria can find someone to replace me. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to bring Spirit along; out of all of us, he's the only one who hadn't made it to the Lighthouse yet."

Esther snorted at this, "What? He's not built for the Crucible?"

"More like he's more leaning towards just finishing Trials Bounties than actually winning."

"So he doesn't give his all then?"

Esther shook her head at Alyx's nod, "Well, I guess the next few days he will have to do his best; I heard Jordan and Ria don't sit around when it comes to Trials."

It was the Awoken Titan's turn to let out a snort, "You mean taking it seriously to the point like as though we're actually fighting in a war."

The female Hunter let out a laugh, "That's why you like to do Trials with me?"

"Hey, I prefer to fight alongside someone who is okay with losing than listening to two others rage about a loss."

"If you two are going to flirt, get a room but for now," All eyes turned towards Luther, the Hunter waving the two over, "It's the Vex."

"What?" Esther quietly peeked over the mound of debris that they had taken refuge in and almost immediately, her green optics spotted the familiar bronze armor of the machines, at least a group of three, marching towards one of the buildings, "But they don't come to this section of the area."

"I guess we calculated wrong," Luther muttered out, pulling his red tattered cloak tighter around his shoulders, letting the yellow ringlets patterned on the cloth to shift against his back, "And there's more coming. Three. Six. Twelve." Then without warning he hefted up his weapon, his grip tightening on the handle of his gun as he ducked behind the mound, "We've been spotted!"

Almost on cue, a blast of energy collided into the mound, sending Esther flying back into Alyx's arms, the Awoken male letting out a small 'oof' as he caught the female Exo. Quickly scrambling out of the Titan's lap, Esther removed her hand cannon from her holster, leaning against what remained of the mound as she hissed out, "How the hell did they spot us?"

"I don't know," Luther hissed back, waiting until enemy fire paused long enough for him to leap up and fire his MIDA Multitool into the Vex before ducking down to avoid more enemy fire, "I was still counting when one of them turned and fired their weapon at me."

"So it's an ambush?" Esther asked, in which Luther nodded, "They were waiting for us!?"

The familiar sound of static rang through her auditory receptors before the clanking of metal caused Esther and Luther to glance up, only for both Hunters to freeze at the sight of a Vex Hobgoblin, the latter of which cocked their head to one side before aiming their weapon at the two Guardians. However, before the two Hunters could even brace themselves, a war cry caused the two to glance towards Alyx, only for the two of them to immediately jump out of the way as Alyx slammed his fist into the Hobgoblin's core, receiving a screeching cry in response before tearing out his hand, letting white fluids spill out around them while the Vex's light blinked lifeless and then collapsed.

"Get out of here!" The Awoken Titan snarled out as removed his auto rifle from his back, firing it into the fray of Vex, cursing silently as more of them appeared through static, "I'll hold them off!"

Pushing herself onto her feet, Esther hesitated, "But-"

She felt a hand grasp her shoulder, "Come on! We have to report this in to the Vanguard!"

"But Alyx!" Esther shouted as she took a step towards the Titan, watching him as he snapped his hand out and summoning his Ward, "The Vex are numerous! He can't-"

"Let's go!" She then felt an arm wrap around her waist, causing her to take in a sharp breath before she let out a scream as she felt herself being lifted up, watching as Alyx's Ward was quickly taken down, "Alyx!"

The last thing the Huntress saw was the Awoken Titan being shot down by the Vex. And his Ghost easily crushed in the grasp of a Vex Minotaur.

Xxxxx

Aleeza couldn't help but let out a laugh as Ora waddled back and forth in the middle of the Plaza, reaching with his small arms in an attempt to tag one of many Guardians present. She had just brought out the toddler to give him fresh air but to her surprise, he reached out, tapped the cloak of a passing Hunter, yelling "Tag!" and it soon turned into a game, in which the Guardians would tap the young Ora playfully before another lets the toddler tap them on the leg, initiating that they were 'it'. At first, Aleeza was part of the game but when the number of Guardians became too numerous, she decided to sit on the stairs, watching her nephew waddle around as his screeching laughter rang through the air.

"You know, I never realized that 'children' were this adorable until Akiva had one of his own," Lena chirped above Aleeza's shoulder, the red and white Ghost's optic following the toddler closely as she added, "Makes you wish you were capable of having one of your own."

Almost immediately, the smile on the female Warlock's face disappeared, replaced with a look of melancholy as she a hand on her abdomen, earning a bewildered look from her Ghost, "Aleeza? Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing," The Awoken Guardian turned and flashed her Ghost a smile, "Everything is alright."

It wasn't nothing. It is true that Aleeza shared almost 'everything' with Lena, including her secrets, but there was one thing that the female Awoken had kept to herself: she was incapable of bearing children. She had discovered this in her previous life after many failed attempts to sire a child. And somehow, the infertility also carried into her next life. As such, seeing her twin not have one but sired two children, the female Warlock couldn't help but be envious, jealous that her brother can have something that she cannot; one of the few things that the twins did not share.

"Nana?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, Aleeza turned her eyes downwards only to let a soft smile fade onto her pale features as her gaze made contact with her nephew's, the latter of which beamed up at the female Warlock before raising up his arms, "Dada? Mama?"

"You done playing, Ora?" Aleeza cooed as she scooped the child into her arms, rubbing her face into his cheeks as he laughed, "Have to wait a bit for 'Dada' and 'Mama' though, they're still in the meeting with the Vanguard." She then placed the child on her lap before playfully tapping Ora on the nose, "They should be back soon."

"Although I admit, I am curious as to why the Vanguard just called the two of them to the Hall," Lena hummed curiously, "Must be something private I assume?"

Aleeza let out a snort at her Ghost's words as she stood up with Ora in her arms, "Private to the point where they couldn't even bring their own child into the meeting? Must be 'really' important."

Hearing her Ghost laugh at her words, the smile on the female Awoken's lips were quickly interrupted as the familiar static of the coms came to life, only for everyone present in the Plaza to stop and stare up at the source as screaming and cursing echoed to life.

"Fireteam- Ow! Neve!- Fireteam Redacted and Fireteam Bl- Neve! Calm down! Fireteam Blaze come to the Hall of Guardians! Immediately! Neve! Calm down! Put that gun away!"

It was then the coms ended with a click and silence followed, everyone present staring up at the with wide eyes and hanging jaws.

"Well," Aleeza let out a cough as she glanced at her nephew, the latter giving her a bewildered look in her arms, "Want to see Mama and Dada?"

An excited squeal escaped the toddler as Aleeza headed towards the Hall of Guardians.

Xxxxx

"Well shit," Leaning back in his seat, Ianos frowned at the weapon parts spread out on top of his desk, hearing Ace spin their back fins once as they stated, "Guess we'll have to finish this another time."

Giving the materials one last glare, the Awoken Warlock then heaved out a heavy sigh as he forced himself out of his seat, "We have been working on this weapon for 'months', Ace. I want it done, 'now'."

Ace blinked once as the pair exited the Warlock's quarters, "You know as well as I do that the only reason why it took that long was because Banshee said to get seven kills on enemies of Darkness 'and' seven headshots on fellow Guardians. The first part you got done immediately but it took us a while to find someone willing to use the precursor for us in the Crucible."

"And took a lot of glimmer as well," The male Awoken grumbled out, earning a laugh from his Ghost, "Well hopefully it will be worth it. They did say that this is the sister to the Last Word."

"Hopefully it will be worth the work."

Watching his Ghost nod once in agreement, the two went silent as they entered the Halls, only to jump as the room resounded with screaming.

"You ineffective use of a machine of a Guardian! If I had known you would be leading him to his death! I would have never let him gone with you to Venus!"

"None of us knew what was going to happen! Stop blaming this on her!"

With his age, Ianos had heard plenty of screaming and cursing in the Hall of Guardians, especially back when Brask was Hunter Vanguard. Although he had the same smart mouth as his student, Ianos recalls Andal Brask being one of the most stubborn Hunters he had ever encountered and this caused him to clash constantly with both Ikora and Zavala. As such, the Halls usually echoed with the constant bickering of the three before Brask's untimely death. As such, Ianos had the time to adapt to hearing shouting coming from the Vanguard's room. However, what he was not expecting was seeing the towering form of Akiva struggling to keep his grip around Neve's waist, the female Warlock attempted to leap out of her partner's arms and towards what Ianos recognizes as two Hunters, a male and a female.

Ianos instantly recognizes Luther, the Guardian's short black hair and yellow eyes glowing against young features and the scars of a Thrall's claw easily recognizable over the Gunslinger's right eye. Constantly spying the Hunter in the Tower's Archives, Ianos found it unusual to see Luther in the Hall, mainly for the reason that Luther constantly patrols Mars, sniping Cabal before rushing in to catch them by surprise. Although curious, Ianos' attention immediately pulled away from the male Hunter's and onto the female, his orange hues widening behind his visor at the familiar form behind Luther.

With green optics bright against icy blue plating, a strip of dark green are imprinted over her optics, making them more obvious against her features. Clad in her blue and violet armor, her cloak is what caught the male Warlock's attention next. Although long faded and torn on the edges, the familiar mark of stars and planets are recognizable on the faded white fabric.

 _She smiled at him endearingly, her optics beaming softly as she leaned in and pressed her hands on his cheeks, wiping away the tears that had fallen from his eyes, "Why are you crying, brother? Did Jupiter bully you again?"_

"Ianos! Help me!"

Snapping out of his memories, the Awoken glanced up in time to see Neve had managed to grasp the front of Luther's armor, the Hunter screaming at her to let go as Ikora, Zavala, and Cayde had jumped in, attempt to pry the female Guardian's grip off of the male Guardian. Instinctively rushing forward, Ianos wrapped his hands around Neve's wrist and with one fluid motion, pried her grip off of the front of Luther's armor. Hearing the male Hunter heave out a sigh of relief, Ianos immediately turned his attention towards Neve, the latter having collapsed to the ground with trembling hands, tears forming in the edges of her eyes as Akiva's arms wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly. The male Warlock took this as the opportunity to turn his attention towards Cayde, the Vanguard Hunter immediately snapping his attention towards Ianos, "What happened?"

"I-I'm sorry," Ianos' eyes glanced over Luther's shoulder to the female Exo, the latter's form trembling as she added, "I thought it we would be alright. I thought with Alyx, the three of us would be…" The Huntress stopped as her voice cracked, covering her face with her hands as sobs escaped her.

" _What happened, Little Light!? What happened!?" He had no answer for her. Instead, his lower lip trembled as he fought back tears, the edges of his vision blurry as he watched her let out an anguished cry._

"Esther went on a reconnaissance mission a while back and she had stumbled into an archive, claiming that she found 'something', something she claims would bring us closer to restoring the lost glory of humanity." Ianos was snapped out of his thoughts by Luther's words, "So the Vanguard assigned me as a partner to help Esther find this 'thing', an archive I believe. But the two of us we needed some muscle, so we had went to Fireteam Blaze for assistance and asked Titan Alyx to aid us. We staked out the area for a few days and everything went fine but…" Ianos then watched the Hunter pause, his shoulders slumping as guilt flashed in his eyes, "We hadn't anticipated an ambush from the Vex. There were too numerous for us to handle and in order for Esther and I too escape, Alyx stayed behind. He…He gave up his life to ensure our security."

"Lies!"

All eyes turned towards the entrance of the Hall of Guardians, only to see the familiar form of Jordan leaping down the stairs, the human Hunter's hazel eyes filled with rage and denial as the rest of his team followed not too far behind him, "Alyx? Dead? I refuse to believe it!" Ianos then watched the Hunter march up towards Luther, leaning in close to his fellow Hunter's face as he snarled out, "Alyx is one of the best Defenders out there. I refuse to believe that a simple group of Vex was able to take him out."

"Jordan," Ianos felt the Hunter's glare in his hazel eyes as he snapped his gaze towards him, "Look around. Do you see Alyx anywhere? Do you think that he would not be in this room to greet you all after a long mission? Do you think he would make you all worry like this?"

To Ianos, it was disheartening to see not only Jordan, but the rest of Fireteam Blaze glance around, the realization dawning in their eyes as they realized that the Awoken Titan was absent in the room; Spirit collapsed down to his knees while Ria knelt down next to him, her white optics filled with grief as her fellow Exo's shoulders shook; Leo's lip had turned into a thin line, turning his brown hues towards the floor as his hands curled into shaking fists; and Jordan seemed have taken the hardest hit of the team, his hazel eyes widening as his face paled in disbelief, losing his grip on the front of Luther's armor as he stumbled back a few steps.

"We are sorry for your loss, Fireteam Blaze," It was Ikora's voice that echoed through the room, catching everyone's attention, "We shall send a team in to gather Titan Alyx's Ghost but first…" Ianos watched Ikora's bronze hues turn towards Esther, the latter of which tentatively tapped her fingers together, "Are you finally going to tell us what you found, Hunter Esther? Instead of telling us, 'it's a surprise'?"

The way Esther turned her optics downwards, scrunching her shoulders together guiltily as she intertwined her fingers rang familiar in the back of the Awoken Warlock's mind.

" _I am sorry," She held out the form of a child to two parents, the mother immediately falling to her knees as she avoided the grieving gaze of the father, "We tried our best but… I am sorry."_

"I am not completely sure," Ianos was snapped out of his trance by Esther's voice, the female Hunter shying away from the narrowed glance of the female Vanguard, "All I know is that I got lost in the archives and that it guided me back outside, giving me directions to properly avoid any hostiles along the way."

"Guided you?" It was Zavala who spoke, "What do you mean guided you?"

Watching Esther take in a deep breath, Ianos couldn't help but let another memory fade as she bravely stepped out behind Luther.

" _What do you mean Little Light can't join the Clan!?" Her bright green optics narrowed at the Clan Leader, the latter of which promptly crossed their arms and glared back, "He has been there every step of the way since our expansion! It's only fair that he gets to join our Clan! Our 'family'!"_

"I may have a reason to believe that it was a Warmind that guided me out of the Archives," Esther's words hung in the air as she came to a momentary pause, "But I am not a hundred percent sure, as such is the reason why I did not give you a proper answer."

"And that cost Alyx's life," Ianos watched Esther turned her gaze back downwards at Neve's snarl, noticing Akiva's grip on her shoulders tightening as the female Warlock added, "If you had just told us the truth from the very beginning then maybe, just maybe, Alyx would still be here."

"But he isn't," The male Warlock paused at his own words, especially when all eyes turned to his direction and he could easily sense the glares from members of Fireteam Blaze. Although reeling from his own outburst, Ianos quickly recomposed himself, "Did you expect that 'Fireteam Blaze' would last forever? We are Soldiers of the Light. Our duties ensure the protection of not only the remnants of humanity but each other as well. Death is to be expected, especially with those who you hold dear. Alyx gave up his life to ensure two other Guardians made it back home. Do not insult his memory by blaming those he died protecting for his death."

The reactions were instantaneous, the shame and guilt that flashed into the members of the Fireteam's eyes were prominent; even Neve glanced down towards the floor as she reached up and gripped her hands tightly around her partner's. Shaking his head as he heaved out a sigh, Ianos turned his attention towards the Vanguard, "When is it the best time to head out and retrieve Alyx's Ghost?"

That's when Ianos noticed the three Vanguards glance at each other, and immediately he knew that they were reading each other's body language and eyes, sending each other subtle signals of their silent debate. This caused Ianos to cross his arms, leaning on one side of his leg as he waited for their silent conversation to end. He had known the three long enough that on occasion, their wordless debate can take hours, sometimes startling unsuspecting Guardians when one of them suddenly breaks the silence with a shout of a solution. Although, the male Warlock let out a sigh of relief when Ikora turned her gaze away from her fellow Vanguards, "We believe the best solution at this point is to send a team in with Esther - 9 to not only locate the Ghost of Titan Alyx but also to find this 'probable' Warmind, if another exists."

"We'll go." All eyes turned towards the members of Fireteam Blaze, their stature quickly regaining confidence however, Ianos can easily see the rage in their gaze, the way their shoulders were rigid and their hands flexing for a fight; they were out for vengeance. This caused Ianos to frown behind his visor, his head shaking slightly side to side in disapproval before he opened his mouth to retort against their words.

"No."

Snapping his gaze towards the Vanguard, Ianos' couldn't help but reel slightly at the three Guardian's decision, watching the three calmly cross their arms behind their back as Zavala added, "We understand why all of you want to volunteer however, the three of us believe that in your current state, you all might act rashly in reaction to Titan Alyx's death."

"What makes you think that we will-"

"Jordan," All eyes turned towards the female Warlock, the latter of which stood up from the floor, patting Akiva's hand comfortingly as he stood up alongside her, "I think we should sit this one out."

"What?!" The male Warlock easily saw fury flare in the Hunter's hazel eyes, "But-"

"Jordan," The human Hunter paused at the stern tone of Neve's voice, the latter giving him a narrowed glance, "I understand why you want to head out on this mission however, I agree with the Vanguard. We will act too brashly if confronted with the Vex that killed Alyx. I believe it is safer to send in a different team to work with Esther."

Although Ianos can still see rage in the Hunter's gaze, he can also see the rigidness in his shoulders dissipated and the way his fists shook as tears formed in the edges of his eyes. He was upset and the Warlock understood but Ianos also understood better than anyone what emotions can affect ones actions; it was after all, what lead him to killing one of his fellow Guardians without a second thought. As such, Ianos stood on the sides as he watched Jordan turn his hazel hues towards his Fireteam members, his gaze silently asking for help as one by one, the other members lowered their gaze; even Leo adverted the Hunter's gaze, much to the Awoken Warlock's surprise. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Jordan took in a shuddering breath and nodded reluctantly, signaling to Neve to focus her attention on the Vanguard, "Do you already have a team in mind?"

Instantly, Ianos can feel the eyes of the three Vanguard lock onto him and immediately the pit of his stomach tighten as Ikora spoke, "Yes, we believe Fireteam Redacted would be the perfect candidate for this mission."

His hands curling into fists, Ianos gritted his teeth behind his helmet as he opened his mouth.

"We're going on a mission?"

All eyes turned towards the entrance of the Hall of Guardians, only for Ianos to immediately recognizes the others of his Fireteam, Angel, Carina, and Aleeza, the latter of which was carrying Ora in her arms as the they entered the room. No sooner had the question left the female Awoken's lips when a squeal escaped the toddler, prompting Aleeza to delicately place the child onto the floor and in response, Ora waddled towards Neve's waiting arms.

"Yes," Ianos narrowed his orange hues at Zavala's immediate response, "We believe since Hunter Angel has knowledge of Venus' terrain, it would give you an advantage while teamed with Esther on locating a valuable asset."

"I'm coming too."

"Sorry Luther, but I have another mission for you," The look of disappointment easily flashed over the Hunter's features at Cayde's words, "There is a high value target out on Mars. I want you to head out and take it down. Effective immediately."

Glancing back and forth between the Hunter Vanguard and Esther, Luther turned and gave the Huntress a nod before his helmet materialized over his head and he exited the Hall, leaving the Vanguard with the two Fireteams.

"I would also like to say that I would like to exclude myself from this mission."

All eyes turned towards Akiva, the latter of which now held Ora, the toddler tilting his head curiously at the stares his father had received, "You see, I need to have a chat with… someone involving their 'Guardian'."

Letting the silence sink into the room, it took Ianos only a moment for the Titan's words to finally click and he nodded his head in understanding. The Awoken Warlock then parted his lips to speak once more.

"Then I would like to volunteer, Spirit-9, for this mission," Ianos couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh at Neve's words, although this was easily missed as the Exo in question let out a strangled choke.

"W-what" Spirit managed to say, "B-But I-"

"I think it's time for you to face your fears," Ianos watched the Exo Warlock's shoulders slump in defeat, "Don't worry, unlike last time, you will have backup to help you when you get in trouble."

"Thanks, Neve," Waiting momentarily after Spirit heaved out a sigh, Ianos then focused his attention back towards the Vanguard, not waiting another second as he finally blurted, "I am not working in this mission."

Now it was Ianos' turn to gain the attention of those present in the room.

"And the reason, Warlock Ianos?" Glaring at the Warlock Vanguard, Ianos spat out, "You know as well as I do the reason why."

Noticing the eyes of the Vanguard glance towards Esther and then back at him, Ianos couldn't help but clench his teeth at Ikora's next words, "I do not know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean!" Sparks of arc light traversed through Ianos' wrists and the way everyone took a step back was not missed by the Awoken Warlock. Choosing to ignore the reactions around, Ianos then continued, "Do not act so ignorant. You know as well as I do that not only did you promise me but the members of Clan Galaxy that we would not work with 'her'."

Sensing the bewildered glances of the Guardians around him, Ianos once again ignored them as he watched the three Vanguard glance towards each other, debating silently with each other before they finally refocused their attention back onto Ianos.

"We understand why you are upset, Warlock Ianos," Ikora started, "However, despite your 'status', we believe that you are a valuable asset to your team and we hope that you will 'rekindle' your relationship with 'lost' friends."

"That is exactly why I cannot do this mission," Ianos snarled out, "You promised us. You promised both the Clan and I that we would not interact with 'her' for the sake of her memory. Even the Speaker agreed to it!"

Taking in ragged breaths, Ianos waited for a response but to his frustration, the three Vanguard stood silently, saying nothing but keeping their gaze focused on the Awoken Warlock. Realizing that their decision had been made, Ianos gave the Vanguard one last glare, "If Brask was alive, he would have kept his side of his promise."

"Hey!"

Ignoring the glare he received from the Hunter Vanguard, Ianos turned his back to everyone present, "I am going to find Pluto. He would want to know about this." As such, Ianos ascended the steps and exited out of the Hall.

* * *

 _Luther belongs to Nightshade2559_

 _And here's the beginning of the new arc! :D  
_

 _A lot of questions will be answered in this arc as a heads up! So be prepared! Although not all of them will be answered. Those are for the next arc :3_

 _Lazypersons \- Exactly why I titled this story the way it is lol. I had actually thought about not making Ora a Guardian but the angst was too good to pass up lol._

 _zantilis_ _\- hahaha you'll see :D_

 _The Ashen Titan_ _\- you're welcome ^_^. I try to give each person's character equal amount of attention but as you can see, it's kinda hard to do lol. And thanks C:_

 _AAA_ _\- Thank you ^_^  
_


	41. A Talk

_**Tormented**_

 _ **A Talk**_

 _I apologize for the late update. Life got me this week. Anyway, here's the next chapter :D  
_

 _Thanks to Lazypersons and Hightemplarr for the reviews!_

* * *

Their Guardian was coming home.

Ever since Gaia 'chose' the toddler that night, the Ghost always felt an 'itch' in the back of their mind whenever their Guardian leaves their sight and the only way that tugging feeling will dissipate is when the young Guardian returns from wherever his parents take him.

Gaia despised the feeling.

Not for the reason that they had never experienced it before. They had experienced it plenty back when Sun was a newborn. Who would have thought that a newly resurrected Titan would be curious of their surroundings? Then again, when resurrected with practically no memory, Gaia had guess such an occurrence would happen. No, the reason why they currently despise the feeling was because it was not Sun. The toddler was not the Exo that they had watched over for years. The toddler was not the Titan that they had watched grow into a legend. The toddler was not the infamous leader of a notorious Clan. The toddler was not the friend that the Gaia had grown attached to.

"Gai! Gai!"

Shaking their core out of their thoughts, Gaia tore their single optic away from the window that they had settled on, only to glide upwards in time to narrowly dodge a swipe from the small toddler. Almost immediately, the gold and crimson Ghost saw a flash of disappointment in the young Guardian's eyes, his lips turning downward into a frown as he raised his hands up towards the Ghost in longing. Twirling their back fins once, instead of gliding over to the toddler, Gaia instead hovered away from the young Guardian and immediately they can see tears form in the edges of the toddler's eyes before the latter let out a sniff.

"Oh, Ora," Gaia watched Neve bend down and scoop the forlorn toddler into arms, "let's put you to bed, h'm?" With that, the female Warlock rubbed her cheek against her son's head, earning a small giggle from the toddler before Gaia watched the pair disappear into the hall leading towards Ora's quarters. Finally alone with their thoughts, Gaia slowly turned and focused their gold optic outside.

"Gaia, we need to talk."

Heaving out a frustrated sigh, the gold and crimson Ghost turned their form and locked their golden optic onto the familiar form of Akiva, the latter of which had crossed their arms and gave Gaia a narrowed glance, "What?"

Now it was the Titan's turn to heave out a sigh followed by the shake of the head before Akiva slowly approached the Ghost, "How long are you going to act like this?"

Gaia tilted their form slightly, "Act like what?"

The Ghost couldn't help but feel amused at the slight twitch of Akiva's eyes, "You know exactly what I mean, Gaia. Acting estranged to Oraxsis. To my son. To 'your' Guardian."

"That 'child' is not my Guardian," Gaia blurted out and immediately, they can sense the look of disapproval from the Titan, "The only one I will acknowledge as my Guardian is Sun and no one else."

"Sun is not around anymore, Gaia," Now it was Akiva's turn to earn a glare, "Look, I understand why you are acting like this. You had just lost your Guardian and then not even a day later, your instincts forced you to find another, giving you no time to mourn your loss. But you can't do this to your new Guardian, he had done nothing wrong against you."

"When you mean nothing wrong, you mean being my Guardian."

"Gaia," Akiva's voice held a tone of finality and from the way Gaia watched the Titan's hands curl into fists, it should be held with seriousness, "Just think about it. Ora may not have been resurrected but he is going to 'grow' just like every other Guardian, both physically 'and' mentally. He 'will' need your guidance once he hits the age to help out in the frontlines. But with you acting distant, a stranger to your 'own' Guardian. It is going to result in not only your death but Ora's as well."

"Do you think I care?"

"Damn it, Gaia!"

Hearing the sound of rage echo in the Titan's tone of voice, Gaia was given no time to react when they saw Akiva charge towards them with his hands stretched out. Feeling fingers enclose around their shell, the gold and crimson Ghost took in a deep breath as they felt pressure press against their core, only to stiffen when the pressure suddenly paused. Staying momentarily still, Gaia only felt comfortable enough to even shift their shell when Akiva's grasp lowered from their core, revealing the slumped shoulders of the Titan, his golden hues begging. Seeing the look in the Titan Guardian's gaze, Gaia stay silent, waiting for Akiva to speak however, to their surprise, the Titan instead heaved out a sigh.

"I am going to help Neve put Ora to bed. So if you need us, you know where to look."

Blinking once, Gaia watched the Titan turn and slowly make their way down the hall, their footsteps slow and heavy as he slowly disappeared from the Ghost's sight.

"You know, I think you spent a tad bit too much time down in Rasputin's Bunker. You need to work on your people skills."

Gaia heaved out a sigh, "And here I thought I now had the room to myself."

A chuckle emanated through the room, causing Gaia to turn and narrow their golden optic at the yellow and white Ghost, "You done?"

"Not quite."

Heaving out another sigh, Gaia watched Lex twirl his back fin several times before he stated, "You should consider Neve's and Akiva's feelings considering your Guardian."

"For the last time, that child is not my Guardian," The gold and crimson Ghost grumbled out, "and why should I consider their feelings into this? Shouldn't they be proud that their offspring has been 'chosen' by the Light?"

"… I guess no one told you about the pair's background then?" Gaia turned and gave their fellow Ghost a bewildered look, "my hunch is right then."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you recall how Akiva reacted when you selected Ora as your Guardian? He fell to his knees and wept. And although Neve hid it well, she too mourned over the fact that their child had been 'chosen'."

Their parts scrunching together in bewilderment at Lex's words, it took Gaia a moment to recall the night they had 'chosen' Oraxsis as their own. They had powered down during the trip back to the Tower and as such, had no knowledge of how they had made it to Akiva's quarters. However, what they do remember is sensing a small flame of light flicker in their vision, a light very similar to Sun's. As such, in an act of longing, Gaia had reached out with their own light and the next thing the Ghost remembers is waking to the giggles of the baby, hovering just out of the child's reach. Not long after, he heard the sobs of the Titan echo through the room.

"What about it?" Gaia finally stated, earning an exasperated sigh from the yellow and white Ghost, "For a Ghost that have been with their Guardian since the very 'beginning', you are quite dense."

"I am not."

Another sigh was Lex's response, "Well if you had stopped for a moment and thought 'why' both Neve and Akiva grieved over the fact that their son had been chosen, it is for the reason that the two of them had lost a child each, both to the Darkness."

The yellow and white Ghost's words caused Gaia to pause, letting the new information sink into their mind, "What? But how? Guardians with children are-"

"Extremely rare, yes," Lex interrupted, earning a blank look from his fellow Ghost, "You see, having already lost a child to the Darkness and that Ora have been chosen by you, the day will come when he will head out into the Wilds when he comes of age. Just imagine, already suffering from a loss and have yet to overcome it but yet, your only surviving child has been marked to be a soldier."

Momentarily quiet, Gaia then stated, "Then what does that have to do with my relationship with the child?"

"You have 'experience' with a Guardian already, Gaia," Lex heaved out a frustrated sigh, "Compared to other Ghosts, your Guardian has an advantage for the reason that you already have the knowledge to fight." The yellow and white Ghost let out a scoff as he added, "All Ghosts may have been created simultaneously but many of us know 'nothing' about fighting against the Darkness, at least, not until we find and fight alongside our Guardian." Gliding closer to his fellow Ghost, Lex then added, "The reason why Akiva and the others keep badgering you to form a bond with your Guardian is for the reason that you have knowledge that can protect Ora in the future when he is old enough to go out into the field and fight against the Darkness. You are their 'hope', Gaia, their faith that you can keep their son safe when the time comes." Gliding back to let the gold and crimson Ghost comprehend his words, Lex then added, "Do not view Ora as a replacement of your previous Guardian. Imagine the child as a newest addition to the 'family', one that needs a wise protector such as yourself to prepare for future battles."

Silence then loomed over the two Ghosts, letting nothing but the slight buzzing of their parts echo through the room. Finally, Lex heaved out a disappointed sigh, "If you have nothing to say, I will be taking my leave then." The yellow and white Ghost turned and started towards the hall only to come to a slow pause, "I hope you take what I said into consideration." He then disappeared from the gold and crimson's Ghost's sight.

Hovering momentarily in place, Gaia blinked once before slowly turning their gaze towards the window and then glided onto the windowsill. Scrunching their parts together in an attempt to get comfortable, the gold and crimson Ghost fixated their gold optic onto the plaza below them, watching the familiar forms of Guardians rush below.

Xxxxx

"You have to be more careful with the Vanguard," Ianos turned his gaze towards Ace, the Ghost twirling their back fins once as they added, "We're walking on thin ice at this moment. I mean, if it wasn't for the House of Spirits, we would still have been under 'house arrest'."

Letting his Ghost's words ring in the back of his head, Ianos couldn't help but momentarily hesitate, letting his thoughts wander back to the time when he returned to earth, only to be met with the furious gaze of the Vanguard Guardians. Although at first confused, it didn't take long for the male Awoken to soon learn that the secret was out, that they had learned of Sun's survival. Their fury was short lived however, when the three learned of the Rogue Guardian's death. This does not mean that Fireteam Redacted escaped punishment. Although the team was relieved that they were not to be branded as rogues, they were all placed under 'house arrest' and any connections outside of the Tower was confiscated; this even included Angel's communicator to the House of Spirits. That is when things slowly turn to chaos.

Angel had failed to inform the Vanguard of his promise to Ixrsis to check in monthly and as such, after months of no response from the human Hunter, the female Kell had sent several scouts to make contact with the Tower. The Guardians stationed near the Wall had failed to recognize the silver and white colors draped over the Eliksni's shoulders. The reaction of the House was immediate. Their Archon, Sirahks if Ianos can recall, stormed through the Wall and into the City, letting out cries of rage as several troops trailed behind him. If Angel hadn't broken their 'house arrest' and intervened, the Eliksni would have easily crushed the civilians standing in their way. This action was able to convince the Vanguard to lift Fireteam Redacted's 'ban', although they were warned to be wary of their actions. They won't be so forgiving in the future.

"Normally I would agree," Ianos finally stated, earning a blink from his Ghost, "But they had promised me 'years' ago that the Clan and I would have no interaction with her." He then sighed as the male Awoken shook his head, "It's what she had wanted after all."

"But it was bound to happen," The Warlock flinched at Ace's words, "You know as well as I do that it cannot be avoided. At least, not completely." Watching the black and orange Ghost twirl their back fins once more, he heard his Ghost continue, "The least we can do is act like as though this is our first time meeting her and not mention anything to do with her past. And let's not forget to mention that once this mission is over, we don't have to work with her again. Who knows, this might be the only time we'll see her. It has been 'years' since we even last spoken to Esther."

Fixating his orange hues onto his Ghost's single optic, Ianos stayed momentarily silent before he heaved out a sigh, "I guess you're right." Coming to a slow pause, the Warlock then added, "She did say she wanted a 'new beginning'. Maybe talking to her 'once' won't hurt."

A soft chuckle emanated through the air before Ianos watched Ace slowly glided closer before they added, "Time to catch up with your 'sister', right?"

Letting a quiet snort escape him, the Awoken Guardian reached out and gently pushed Ace to the side with the back of his hand before continuing his walk down the Hall, "We will see after we inform Pluto of this."

That's when Ianos heard his Ghost let out a gulp, "Oh, yeah, right. He will definitely be 'happy' to hear about this."

"You mean more than 'happy' enough to kill the Vanguard for letting this happen?"

"Let's just pray that it doesn't come to that."

Xxxxx

Although having announced that he was no longer part of Fireteam Redacted, Pluto still found himself under the 'ban' that the others have been placed under. Although at first annoyed, the Exo Hunter slowly came to accept the punishment; this enabled him to spend more time with the young members of Clan Galaxy. Although some of them will be sent outside of the Tower under Vanguard orders, no more than three or four would leave Pluto's presence and this let the Veteran Guardian spend some time with them. Although unable to leave the Tower himself, Pluto still would give them advice when it comes to the Wilds and sometimes would train them in the multiple Training Gyms allocated in the home of the Guardians. Thanks to the fact that the Soldiers of Light constantly uses guns in their arsenal against the Darkness, many of these gyms house shooting ranges, allowing Pluto bring several of the younger Clan members to work on their shots. Currently, he has Met, Cordelia, and Polaris under his wing, teaching them out to shoot with a scout rifle. With his optics repaired for such an occasion and with Nix silently recording by constantly sending out scans across the room, Pluto can easily tell that Cordelia has a handle on the weapon but Met and Polaris constantly struggle to keep the weapon steady.

Hearing Polaris mutter under his breath about 'shitty gun', Pluto then let out a single cough, catching the attention of the Striker, "Having trouble aiming, Polaris?"

Seeing a frown flash onto the younger Guardian's gray plating, Pluto watched Polaris step back from his position behind the stand before walking up to the older Guardian and holding out the scout rifle, "I don't think scout rifles are for me."

His red optics twinkling with amusement, Pluto waited until Nix glided over and scanned the weapon back into his Vault before he added, "Prefer hand cannons?"

Watching the young Titan nod once, the Exo Hunter let out a small smile before reaching out and patting the young Guardian on the shoulder, "You may practice on your aim, but I'll keep a close eye to see if there is any need for improvement."

Seeing Polaris' yellow optics instantly light up, Pluto couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he watched the young Striker run back to the booth, signaling for his white and blue Ghost, North, to materialize his favorite weapon into his hands. Waiting until the sound of the hand cannon echoed through the air alongside the other gunshots in the room, Pluto then focused his red optics onto the other two Guardians, "Cordelia, you may switch weapons if you like. It seems you have fixed hand on scout rifles."

Watching the Exo Warlock lower her weapon, Pluto watched Cordelia glance over her shoulder, "Then may I work on my sniper shots then?"

"If you like," Seeing the female Warlock beam her bright green optics at him, Pluto simply shook his head and smiled as Ophelia, Cordelia's pink and yellow Ghost, materialized the young Guardian's sniper into her hands.

It was then the Exo Hunter turned his attention to the youngest of the group, only for his smile to fade and concern flash in his red optics, "Met? Do you need help?"

That's when Pluto saw gray Exo's shoulders go rigid, scrunching her arms close to her chest as she slowly turned to face the Exo Hunter. With her scout rifle clenched close to her chest, Met can hardly lift her gaze off the ground as Pluto kept his gaze on her target; all shots were penetrated 'around' the figurine, with shots barely grazing the shoulders.

"Met?" Pluto fixated his gaze back onto the Titan, watching her fidget as her grip on her weapon tighten, "I am not upset."

"But you're disappointed," The female Titan muttered out, earning a sigh from the Exo Hunter, "I am 'not' disappointed, Met." Slowly approaching the young Guardian, Pluto then added, "I just want to know why you keep missing your shots." Glancing back at the practically unscathed target, the Exo Hunter continued, "It's like you intentionally missed."

"That's because I did."

That's when Pluto blinked, his red optics scrunching together in bewilderment as the most obvious question spilled from his lips, "Why?"

Watching Met scrunch together as if an effort to make herself appear smaller, the female Exo responded, "I hate hurting things, let alone killing them. It just, doesn't feel right to me." It was then her shoulders slumped and Met finally lifted her gaze to lock onto Pluto's optics, "I mean, there is more than one way to utilize our light, right? Besides fighting?"

Letting the younger Exo's question sink into the back of his mind, instead of responding immediately, Pluto kept silent, either ignoring or failing to notice the way the female Exo fidgeted at the silence. The Veteran Guardian had heard rumors, Guardians who refused to fight or disagreed with the ways of the Vanguard and as such, had moved to the outer rims of the system, to utilize their light differently from the Guardians stationed at Earth. Although many are in disbelief of these pacifist Guardians, Pluto is more apathetic to his peaceful brothers and sisters; if they want to utilize their light differently, then so be it. But to actually meet such a Guardian face to face is a wholly new situation to the Exo Hunter; he wants Met to learn how to defend herself yes but he doesn't want to force her to kill when she is obviously uncomfortable with the situation. But what else does Pluto know besides aiming his gun at an enemy of the Light?

"Pluto?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Pluto fixated his red optics onto Met, the latter of which had timidly stepped forward and had her fingers on his arm, "You alright, Pluto?"

Blinking several times as if to refocus his vision, the Exo Hunter let out a small smile before nodding once, "Yes, was just thinking is all." He then raised his arm and placed a comforting hand onto Met's shoulder, "Instead of shooting today, how about I send you over to Matt."

Almost instantly, Pluto can see the bewilderment in the female Exo's gaze, "Why?"

"You did say that you didn't like to shoot and you want to utilize your Light in a different way." Pluto can still sense the confused look in Met's optics, "Matt is a Medic and there aren't many Guardians who utilize their light for 'healing' per se. So perhaps –"

"Yes!"

The sudden outburst from the timid Exo was enough to send Pluto reeling, the older Guardian's optics widening at the beaming gaze of the younger Titan.

"Do you think Matt would mind?" The hopeful look in Met's eyes stayed, "If of course that is alright with you and the others? Oh I wonder what I can do with my light. Do you think I can honestly heal someone with my Light?"

Blinking several times at the younger Exo, Pluto then let out a chuckle as he nodded, "Your main attunement is arc light after all, and it has been said that Arc light is in all life. Perhaps you can utilize a way where you can affect others with your light, perhaps in a more 'positive' refuge than you are used to."

The giddiness in the younger Exo's optics seem to strengthen at the Exo Hunter's words, causing him to let out another chuckle before he reached out and patted the female Titan on the shoulder. That's when a cough caught his attention, causing Pluto to turn his head and spot the familiar form of Ianos standing near the entrance, his arms crossed and head slightly tilted, as if amused by the sight the Warlock saw before him.

Raising a hand to greet the Awoken Warlock, Pluto paused as Ianos subtly waved his hand from his crossed arms; a gesture that the Exo Hunter recognizes as one meaning to talk. And from the way Ianos seemingly waved him over again, this time tilting his head to the other side in impatience, it means he doesn't want to talk in front of the younger Clan members.

"Met," Pluto felt the younger Exo's green optics fixate onto him, "Would you mind talking to Comet about your new 'profession'? I have a feeling he would like a say in it."

Once again feeling the bewildered look from the young Titan, Pluto barely saw from the corner of his optics Met nod once before turning around and walking away, holding out her hand to summon the familiar brown star shaped form of her Ghost.

"I apologize for interrupting," Pluto fixated his optics back towards Ianos, the latter of which slowly approached the Exo Hunter, "But just wanted to inform you of a mission that the others and I are tasked with."

"Well that doesn't sound so bad. Your first mission after being under 'house arrest' for nearly a year."

"It involves Esther."

Almost immediately, the smile on Pluto's metallic features dissipated and his optics narrowed, "What? The Vanguard clearly knows-"

"The Vanguard doesn't give a shit," Ianos let out a scoff, "They say that it is time to rekindle relationships with 'lost' friends."

"Are they still in the Hall?! Wait until I get my hands on them! I'll-"

"Pluto!"

The Exo Hunter felt hands press against his shoulders, snapping his narrowed glance towards the Awoken Warlock, unable to read the expression behind the male Guardian's visor. However, from the way his grip tightens on his shoulders and the way he took in a sharp breath, it was a warning sign to not lose his temper.

"You can't attack the Vanguard," Pluto felt Ianos' grip leave his shoulders, "At least, not when we're on thin ice."

Frowning at the Warlock's words, Pluto instead crossed his arms and grumbled out, "When I get the chance, I'll get them back."

A snort was Ianos' reaction to the Exo Hunter's words, "I am upset as well. But what can we do at this moment when the Vanguard distrust us after 'failing to inform them of Sun's survival' stunt?"

"We promised Esther that we would not make contact with her after her memory wipe," Pluto spat, hearing Nix glide over his shoulder as he added, "It's a promise that both you and the Clan made. A promise that 'I' had made with her."

"I know," Ianos heaved out a sigh, "Nonetheless, the best we can do is to act as though we have never known her previously. Pretend that we have never met Esther-8."

"…What's this mission that you are participating with her?"

"It's on Venus. A potential 'artifact' that can be beneficial to us."

"Then I am coming."

"No."

Pluto's red optics narrowed at the Warlock as the latter added, "We already have a full Fireteam of six. Aleeza, Carina, Angel, Esther, Spirit, and I."

"Wait, Spirit? Why him?"

"Apparently, Neve wants him to get over his fears of the Vex, and what better way to do that than to send him over to Venus? Where there are a bountiful full of those walking machines."

That's when Pluto reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as he heaved out a sigh, "Damn it, once I am done here, I am going to speak to the Vanguard about this."

Lifting his gaze back towards the Awoken Warlock, Pluto noticed the way Ianos' fingers tapped against his crossed arms, "And I will 'try' and hold my tongue, if that makes you feel any better."

"Just a little," Pluto could hear the slight amusement in the Guardian's tone, "Although I admit, I would rather prefer if you avoid a 'meeting' with the Vanguard."

"And constantly let them get away with bullshit like this?" Pluto scoffed, "Just because they, the Speaker, and the Consensus are the high power in the City does not mean that they can invade our personal lives. 'Especially' when it comes to old comrades in arms."

The Exo Hunter then heard Ianos let out a small grunt of agreement before the Warlock stated, "And maybe I can stop bringing up the dead in front of the Vanguard to constantly remind them."

That's when Pluto paused, "Oh, don't tell me you didn't."

Although the Exo Guardian couldn't see through Ianos' darkened visor, he can easily sense the dark smile behind, "If they keep bringing someone up from our past, it is only fair I get to do the same."

Shaking his head, Pluto couldn't help but let out an amused snort before he stated, "So when are you all leaving for this mission?"

The Awoken Warlock shrugged, "To be honest, I left before they can clearly state that. But knowing the Vanguard, I would believe as soon as possible."

"Then they might already be waiting for you in the Hangar as we speak."

"Perhaps."

"You are not going to immediately head there?"

"Hah, no. They can wait just a tad bit longer."

Xxxxx

" _Are you sure you can't just…leave? No?"_

Angel hesitated, his green eyes locked onto the face of the female Kell on the flickering screen.

The Vanguard had been forgiving enough to hand the human Hunter back his communicator with the House of Spirits but the Guardian himself had not forgiven the actions of the Guardians who had taken the lives of the scouts sent to check on him. Vivaks, Zhavaks, and Tiroks were their names and all of them were recently promoted Vandals to the House. Angel knows, he was there for their 'promotion' after all. The excited chitters the three sent to each other amongst the many who were also promoted to Vandals, Angel had known the three of them would always stick together. He just hadn't anticipated this would also include death as well. Angel recalls the backlash of the Guardians' 'mistake' on killing the scouts, Sirahks charging through the streets with his Scorch Cannon in hand, destroying any buildings that got in the way of him and his troops. The Hunter was just relieved that none of the civilians had been killed during his rampage. But the rage of the House of Spirits did not end there.

Ixrsis, fearing for the lives of her people, had sent out a signal to all Eliksni stationed near the Wall to return home. Even Olkar, the lone Eliksni staying in the Tower, was forced to return to the House of Spirits. Angel recalled the day Orion had to give the Vandal an embrace of goodbye when the day came for him to leave. It was heartbreaking, to see the two friends say goodbye, even more so when Trikxas came and the three of them spoke in the Eliksni tongue; a prayer of safety for the three of them and that in the future, they will meet again. Since then, Orion had been keeping to himself, only coming out of his shell to aid Pluto in keeping the Clan in line.

When the signal for all Eliksni to return was sent out, Angel at first, ignored the signal; he already has a family here in the Tower after all. However, the constant contact with Ixrsis and the way she wanted him to come and visit, the temptation to stay with those who helped in his first few months of being a newborn grows stronger. But his connection to Fireteam Redacted always made him stay.

" _I wish I can, Ixrsis,"_ Angel began, immediately seeing the look of disappointment flash in the female Eliksni's four eyes, " _But if I were simply to leave, they will mark me as a Rogue and they 'will' hunt me down. If I were to stay with the House of Spirits when this occurs, then you will all get involved."_

" _We can defend ourselves and you,"_ Ixrsis retorted, " _we have the weapons, the defenses now. Yes?"_

Letting the words of the female Kell sink in, Angel couldn't help but let out a quiet snort, earning a bewildered look from Ixrsis. In compensation for the deaths of the scouts, the Speaker gave permission to give a limited amount of Guardian arsenal to the House of Spirits. This included ships, Sparrows, and even weaponry, such as auto rifles and machine guns. Although the House were happy with their new toys, this still did not sate their rage towards the Guardians. This only built up their confidence that the treaty between the Tower and the House of Spirits is no longer needed; especially since how easily the Guardians killed their scouts.

Each day, Angel pass by fellow Guardians who whisper that the House will backstab them eventually or how several of them do not agree with working with 'scavengers' and 'murderers'. The same goes for the House of Spirits. Eliksni would utter and mutter to others of reluctant to work with the 'Warriors of Light' and how they were disturbed how easily they kill members of other houses without first checking to see the familiar colors of silver and white. The relationship between the Guardians and Eliksni are strained with each day and Angel is unsure which side he will choose if the Treaty does fall. He prays that day does not come.

" _This Treaty, Ixrsis,"_ The Human Hunter began, " _we worked too hard on it for it to fall so easily._ "

" _But…the scouts…"_

" _I pray that it will never happen again,"_ Angel can easily see the doubt in the female Kell's eyes, " _I pray that it is only an accident and not intentional, as some of the members of House of Spirits believe. That 'you' believe."_ The Hunter paused as Ixrsis glanced down at the ground shamefully, " _But if it were to happen again, then I have to admit this. The relationship between the Guardians and the Eliksni may never improve and this so called 'Treaty' will be called a ceasefire."_ Angel then heaved out a sigh, " _Although I do not wish for a day like that to come. I truly believe that Guardians and Eliksni may live together in peace. Like what you and I have done in the first few months of my live."_

" _But the Guardians are not like you, Pure One,"_ Angel watched Ixrsis lock her gaze back with his, " _They are not understanding or kindhearted as you. They do not try to put themselves in the footsteps of others. In my eyes, all I see is that they only care if they are like themselves, that take on their similar shapes and forms. No?"_

" _That is why I believe this Treaty can make a difference,"_ The Hunter retorted, " _Just give it time, Ixrsis. Some of the Guardians have lived for 'years' and many have lost those they had called friends and family to the other Houses of Eliksni. It won't be easy, but time may let them warm up to the idea of an alliance."_

That's when the female Kell went quiet, causing Angel to fidget in place as he watched the female Eliksni blink several times, her gaze wandering around the screen before she finally heaved out a sigh, " _I will trust your words, Pure One. I just pray that it will not result in the death of another of our people. No?"_

Letting a smile crack onto his features, Angel nodded once before the screen flickered and then disappeared in front of him, signaling to the Hunter to hold out his hand to catch the falling communicator.

"Do you really think that the relationship between the Guardians and the House of Spirits will improve?"

Letting the voice of his Ghost ring in the back of his head, Angel heaved out a sigh before he held out the orb towards Hope, letting the white and red Ghost materialize the object into the Vault before he responded, "It may take some time but, yes."

Hope spun her back fins in response to her Guardian's words, "I wish I was optimistic as you are, Angel. But seeing what just happened with the 'accidental' deaths of those scouts, I am not quite sure if the Treaty will last."

Giving his Ghost a sheepish smile, Angel then stated, "Then I guess you have to have some 'hope' then."

"Oh Traveler," The white and red Ghost reeled back in shock, "I swear, Cayde is rubbing off on you. Darkness, that was awful."

Laughing at Hope's reaction, Angel's laughter came to a stop when a giggle emanated not too far behind him. Twirling around, the human Hunter blinked at the familiar blue and violet form of the Exo Huntress, watching her red and blue Ghost glide over her shoulder as she came to a short pause in front of Angel.

"Cayde has a way of rubbing off on people," Esther smiled, "Been like that ever since I first met him."

Watching her wander around, Angel let out a cough before he stated, "You got here early."

Seeing her flash him another smile, the human Hunter couldn't help but feel his face heat up from the simple gesture. He was just glad that he quickly regained his composure before (he hoped) the female Exo can see.

"I enjoy waiting in the Hangar when it comes to missions," Esther stated, earning a blink from the human Guardian, "You get to see who you work with and knowing that you are going on a mission puts me on the edge, if you know what I mean?"

Simply nodding at the female Guardian's words, Angel watched as Esther turn to her Ghost, now preoccupied in a quiet conversation with it, letting the human Hunter take her in. With glowing green optics against ice blue plating and a strip of green over her optics, Angel couldn't help but lean in slightly as if to take in a better view of her.

"Someone has a crush," Hope's hushed teasing caused Angel to snap his attention to the female Ghost, feeling his face flush at the giggling the white and red Ghost emitting, "N-No. I am just curious as to why Ianos reacted earlier to working with her."

That's when Hope let out a quiet hum, her single green optic blinking back at her Guardian, "That is a good point." As the female Ghost glided around his shoulders in thought, Angel reminisced back to the Hall. Although having known Ianos for quickly losing his temper, the human Hunter normally only sees this when the well-being of those he hold close is at stake or a figment of his past is revealed without his knowledge. And from the way he reacted with the Vanguard, the human Hunter guess it to be the latter. But from the way Esther reacted to Ianos' rage, Angel can also guess that this was the first time the female Exo met the Awoken Warlock. As such, the human Guardian couldn't help but be puzzled at Ianos' rage towards the Vanguard. Why would he be upset over working with a Hunter he had just met. Unless, this was not the first time he had met her.

Glancing over at the female Exo, Angel's mind wandered back to a conversation that he had overheard both Carina and Pluto had a while back. It was to do with the number next to their names, the Hunter understanding that it holds significance to the Exo but never understood why. At least, not until he heard Carina jokingly tell Pluto to have a memory wipe to reach the magic number of a hundred. Understandably, Pluto did not take kindly to the 'joke' and easily reprimanded the female Exo, in which the latter sincerely apologize; an act that Angel found surprising. It must be a sensitive topic if it caused Carina to so easily apologize for her actions. Then again, if the Hunter were to guess correctly, it counted on how many times their memories have been wiped.

With this new information in mind, Angel quickly deduced the two together. That Ianos had met Esther before a memory wipe. Although the male Hunter is still confused as to why the Awoken Warlock reacted so negatively towards working with the Huntress.

"The others are taking their sweet time, don't you agree?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Angel focused his green hues onto the female Exo, watching her smile sweetly at him. Slowly realizing the Guardian was waiting for a response, he nodded once, immediately catching Esther's focus. Noticing the way the female Exo tapped her fingers together and the way her green optics focused on him completely, the human Hunter realized she wishes to socialize. Although he still has many questions to break down and to find answers for, he guesses for now, he will get to know 'Esther-9', at least, until the others make it to the Hangar.

Xxxxx

Gaia had waited until Akiva left to make their way towards Ora's quarters, easily opening up the door by streaming their light into the panel. Gliding their way in, Gaia's golden optics fixated onto the sleeping toddler in the crib, watching Oraxsis sleep soundly as they came to a slow stop just above the child. Seeing him safe and comfortable underneath the pale green blanket the others used to keep the toddler, Gaia couldn't help but reminisce when they first resurrected Sun.

Being one of the first Guardians or 'Risen' as they were called back then, Sun had no refuge, no safe place to reside in when they first awoke. With no name as well, it was hard for the pair to make it around settlements, constantly at large with other 'Risen' or 'Warlords' who wished to take land. During that time, Gaia had to teach Sun how to wield weapons and to give advice when it comes to wielding the light, although they themselves have no clue on what they were doing as well.

Going through the memories with the exception that it would be Ora, Gaia shook their core side to side and glared at the sleeping child.

"You are 'not' my Guardian,' The Ghost stated, watching the child turn onto their side, "You are 'not' my Guardian. You are 'not' Sun. You are 'not'…" Gaia's voice faded, letting grief overtake their mind, "You are not them, but your light is so much like theirs. Every time I look at you, all I remember is them. How come it must be you? A child born between two Guardians? A child that I have to watch grow until they are ready to be a Soldier of Light… just like how I had to do with Sun."

Hearing the child whimper slightly, Gaia fixated their gaze onto Ora's face, only to see his lids scrunched together and his lips tight into a frown; a nightmare perhaps? Before Gaia could stop themselves, they glided over, snuggled into the child's side, and emitted small waves of light. Hearing Ora's whimpers go silent, Gaia then attempted to lift themselves out of the child's side, only to pause as they sensed a light resonate with theirs.

"Gai…"

Snapping their gold optic towards the child's face, Gaia couldn't help but feel warmth at the soft smile on the toddler's features and in turn, the Ghost released several more waves of light, letting it resonate with the child's.

"Sleep well, my Guardian," Gaia whispered as they slowly powered down, ensuring their light beat steadily alongside Ora's.


	42. For the Better

_**Tormented**_

 _ **For the Better**_

 _If I keep updating late like this, might as well move updates to Thursdays lol. Anyway, going to give it one more try to make it on time for Wednesday before moving it on Thursday because apparently, I can't seem to update on Wednesdays.  
_

 _Anyways, thanks to lazypersons, Fin the Demi God, and And-on-and-on for the reviews!_

 _Lazypersons_ _\- Pluto is going to react. Badly lol_

 _Fin the Demi_ _God \- Their relationship will be expanded upon in the next book. For the better or worse, you will see :D_

 _And-on-and-on_ _\- oh! Thank you! ^_^. Always wanted to incorporate the Elikisni although I feel like I am not really building up on their culture, really need to work on that lol. And thanks for your submission, your character might not make it in this book. But they most likely will make an appearance in the next book :D  
_

* * *

" _Olkar?"_

Seeing her littermate shift in his cot, Axtris' head perked up, her four eyes wide in hope as she watched the Vandal push himself into a sitting position; only for her shoulders to slump when he instead turned his back towards the door and laid down. Heaving out a low rumble, Axtris delicately slid the door close before turning her four luminescent eyes towards Vellak, the Captain giving her a wary look, _"He is still not saying anything."_

Watching her eldest littermate heave out a sigh, Axtris couldn't help but turn her head towards the door and let out another concern rumble. It may have only a few weeks since the call to return to base was given out, but the female Vandal had visited the Tower enough times before hand to witness the relationship between Olkar and another Guardian – Orion if Axtris can recall. Called ' _Bright One'_ by Axtris to make it simpler to speak his name, the female Eliksni knew that Olkar would miss his friend however, hadn't anticipated it to be severe to the point where he would turn unresponsive, only moving out of his cot to receive the daily Ether that are handed out.

" _I pray that this 'tension' between our people and the Guardians soon fade,"_ Axtris turned her focus onto her eldest littermate, " _Otherwise, I highly doubt things will get any better."_ She then watched Vellak turn and started walking away, prompting the female Eliksni to follow, _"To think, the first successful attempt at forging a treaty between Eliksni and Guardians crumbling under a decade."_

" _That is not going to happen,"_ Axtris paused, reeling slightly at her own outburst as Vellak turned and blinked several times in surprise. This didn't stop the female Eliksni from adding, " _Pure One says to give it time. Says that the 'incident' with Vivaks, Zhavaks, and Tiroks were accidental. The Guardians did not yet recognize the banners of House Spirits."_ Letting out a few clicks behind here ether mask, Axtris continued, " _He says to give it time and perhaps things will mend as time passes by."_

It was then the female Vandal heard her eldest littermate let out a harsh huff but said nothing as he continued forward, leaning against his staff with each step as Axtris followed. Momentarily letting the silence permeate between the two Eliksni, Axtris shifted uncomfortably on the back of her feet as she heard her littermate heave with every step. Before the deaths of Vivaks, Zhavaks, and Tiroks, it was Vellak who volunteered to head to the Tower to check on the human Guardian. Although Kell Ixrsis was reluctant to let the House's only Scribe outside of the safety of their base, she only agreed to let him go if a Captain and several Vandals escorted him there. With their ships stationed a few miles away from base, many had expected nothing to go awry. How wrong they were.

Several House Devil scouts had made their way to where their ships were docked and it was bad timing on House Spirits part that they had decided to take one of their Skiffs for a short journey to the Tower. A brawl immediately sprang between the two Houses and although House Spirits claimed victory and dumped the bodies of the Devils into a different area to hide their trail, not all had made it out unscathed. Two of their Vandals had been killed in the onslaught and Vellak had been seriously injured to the point that he was pulled from being the emissary of House Spirits and Vivaks and the others were sent in his stead. It was only when they brought him back to base where they were fully able to assess his injuries. And it did not bode well.

During the skirmish, a Devil Captain had gotten lucky with their scorch cannon and molten metal had lodged itself into Vellak's side, striking him in the lungs. Although the shrapnel had been removed, the constant wheezing tells signs that his body had not recovered from the fight. And perhaps never will.

" _I am not going to drop dead so stop your fidgeting."_

Letting out a startled yelp, Axtris jumped away from her littermate, failing to see the bewildered look in his eyes as paused in her steps, " _Axtris?"_

Although hearing Vellak's voice laced with concern, Axtris couldn't help but feel her face heat up from her scare, quickly retorting, " _I was deep in thought when you spoke, Vellak. It had startled me."_

Watching her littermate tilt his head at her, a low rumble then escaped the eldest Eliskni, only to cause Axtris' face to flush even further; she recognizes her littermate's laugh, " _It is not funny."_

No sooner had the words left her lips when Vellak let out a short cough, his shoulders returning to their slumped positions before he simply stated, " _I wonder what kept you deep in thought, Axtris. Does it have to do with your 'mate'?"_

Axtris strained to contain her groan, although from the way her eldest littermate let out a chuckle showed she had failed in her attempt. Ever since he had won the challenge for the hand to 'mate' with her, Inkolas had made small and subtle interactions with her. At first, he had been straightforward, asking her to mate the next day after he had won. Axtris was hesitant at first, recalling stories from her older littermates of male Vandals forcing themselves onto females if they were to refuse their advances, but this didn't stop the female Vandal to reject the male Vandal. To her surprise, he had taken it well, nodding once before bowing to show his respect to his 'mate' before running off to knows where the Splicer runs off to. The next day, he approached her with a can of Ether and said nothing but held out the precious life substance until she accepted and once again, he disappeared. He continually kept giving her items with each passing day, from small objects like flowers or to items she would have needed such as new shock blades. The item she was most impressed with though was the new prosthetics legs. She had no idea how but he had someone crafted ones that fit better than her previous ones and more light weight, enabling her to move with more fluidity and agility than before. Although this doesn't mean she's warming up to the Splicer; but she does admit she does enjoy receiving the items from the male Eliksni.

" _No but even if I am, I will never understand him,"_ Axtris rumbled out, hearing her elder littermate let out a playful rumble in return, " _Why is he giving me items when I have done no favor for him? Or even done my share in maintaining our House? Yes, Ether is handed out freely but that is a necessity, we cannot survive without it."_ She shook her head to empathize her words, " _I don't even know what he is trying to gain from me from doing this."_

Listening to the Scribe rumble thoughtfully to himself, Axtris waited until he stated, " _I remember Kell Ixrsis speak of giving an item to Pure One long ago. A 'gift' she calls it."_ The female Vandal narrowed her eyes at her elder littermate as he continued, " _I asked Kell Ixrsis to explain to me what a 'gift' is and she explained to me that a 'gift' is an item that one gives to another as a gesture of kindness. No debt is owed. No need to repay."_ Another rumble escaped the male Captain, " _Perhaps this is his way of trying to show his affection towards you."_ Hearing this,the female Vandal couldn't help but give her elder littermate a blank stare, the latter letting out another chuckle before he rumbled out, " _He has been a 'slave' to the Ashen Ones his entire life, Axtris. Having never been around a female before, he is naïve on how to properly court and this 'gift' giving must be a way for him to show affection."_

Squinting her four eyes at her elder littermate, Axtris then rumbled out, _"But if he had been a slave his entire life, then how did he learn of this gesture of 'gift'? Our people certainly did not learn the word 'gift' until Pure One and Ixrsis interacted, yes?"_

That's when the female Eliksni watched her littermate tilt his head slightly, a gesture she recognizes of him pondering quietly to himself. Hearing him rumble quietly, Axtris tilted her head at him in response, waiting patiently as her littermate muttered to himself. However, before she can gain a proper response from the male Captain, a screeching cry echoed through the yard.

" _Solder of Light!"_

The cry of warning of a Guardian getting too close to the House of Spirits base is normal; only the human Hunter should know the location of the Eliksni House. As such, if a cry of a Soldier of Light getting too close echoes through the yard, many Eliksni would rush into hiding or for the scouts, cloak themselves, ensuring that the passing Guardian would not spot the moving Eliksni. However, instead of the usual tone of caution, this one was filled with hate and rage, causing the two littermates to turn their gaze towards each other warily as others of their kind scampered across the yard. Momentarily letting other Eliksni brush against her, Axtris decided to follow their example, shifting herself towards one of the many buildings around them. That is, until the familiar sound of a fired wire rifle echoed through the air.

Time then seem to slow down as the female Vandal turned her four eyes towards the entrance, her four eyes wide as others around her followed her example. Standing near arch of rocks and metal was a fellow Vandal, their wire rifle still smoking from a fired shot as they slowly turned to face the others of their kind. Seeing the look of satisfaction in her fellow Eliksni's four eyes, Axtris couldn't help but feel a sense of dread drop in the bit of her stomach, only more so when her littermate limped forward and shoved the Vandal aside, only to let out a wheeze.

" _What have you done?"_

Axtris had seen her littermate get angry before, but no matter how many countless times she sees the older Eliksni's four eyes flare up with rage and standing tall as he snarled, the female Eliksni always feel chills run down the length of her spine. It doesn't help that thanks to his new rank of Captain, he is now bigger and broader than his time as a Vandal, causing his stature to be more frightening and threatening as he loomed over the Vandal who had fired the shot.

In response to her littermate's question, Axtris watched the Vandal lower themselves to the ground, their wire rifle held close to their chest as they quietly rumbled out, " _The Guardian was getting too close. I had to-"_

" _That does not mean you fire to kill!"_ To empathize his words, Vellak snatched the Wire Rifle from the small Vandal's grasp before turning and slamming it onto the hearth. Immediately, the rod of metal and parts twisted and screamed before it broke in half, letting shards spread amongst the ground. Its core flickering several times, the bolt of energy let out one final stutter before it died, leaving everyone present to stare wide eyed and in shock.

" _Axtris. With me."_ Hearing her littermate snarl out his command, Axtris couldn't help but hesitate slightly when the older Eliksni turned and limped through the archway, leaving her alone amongst a circle of others of their kind. Letting silence momentarily sink into the back of her mind, Axtris finally took a deep breath and tentatively followed her littermate through the archway and down the hill, praying silently that the Guardian that the Vandal had shot is still alive. Or at least, their Ghost still intact.

Xxxxx

Esther always had held a suspicion that she has a secret that is even unknown to herself. The reason for this is that as far as back as she can remember, several Guardians would glance over at her, eyes filled with recognition and grief. At first, she was puzzled, confused as to why they would give her such looks, especially since in her memory, this was her first interaction with them. The Exo Hunter had asked Vulcan, her fiery red Ghost, and at first, he had refused, claiming he knows nothing of the estranged stares. However, after much pestering and probing, Vulcan blurted out about memory wipes, an action that can only be performed on Exo, such as herself. With this small piece of information, Esther connected that the Guardians that gave her looks of recognition were those she had interacted in the past and that they all hold secrets to as why. But no matter how much curiosity poked at her or tugged at the back of her mind, Esther made no action to question any of those Guardians for information. From what she can gather, she had undergone the memory wipe willingly and as such, if her past self wanted to rid herself of memories, then she will let it stay that way. No matter how much curiosity gnaws at her.

As such, when the last of their group to made it to the Hangar, she didn't have to see through his visor to know that he had recognized her. From the way, his shoulders slumped and the way he released a sharp exhale in her presence, it was completely obvious to the female Huntress. Although curiosity once again ate away at the back of her mind, Esther bit back her words, letting it slowly die in the back of her throat as the Warlock – Ianos if she can recall – focused his attention onto Carina, the female Titan blurting out, "You're late."

"Sorry, I had to talk to Pluto about the mission. Tell him that we were leaving."

No sooner had his words left his lips when Esther heard everyone around her take in a sharp breath, their eyes wide as if they had just witnessed a miracle. This did not go unnoticed by the Warlock.

"What?"

"You feeling alright, Ianos?" It was Aleeza who spoke, the female Awoken leaning in towards the male Awoken, causing him to lean back to keep the distance and blurt out, "Of course I am, what makes you think otherwise?"

"You just apologized," This time it was Angel who made the statement, his green eyes wide as he added, "You 'never' apologize."

Esther watched as Ianos smacked Aleeza's hand away from his helmet and she can sense the glare behind his visor as he retorted, "There is a first time for everything. Now can we please just go?"

"You said please," Carina gasped out, earning a groan from the Awoken Warlock, "You said please! Who are you and what have you done to our Ianos?"

"For Traveler's sake, can we just board our ships and-"

"Imposter!"

No sooner had the word left the female Exo's lips when she leaped onto the Warlock, earning a shout of surprise from the latter as he teetered backwards from the sudden extra weight on his chest. Then with a resounding 'slam', the Warlock landed onto the metal floor, causing everyone present to let out a pained 'ooh' as the sound echoed through the Hangar; even Esther let out a slight cringe in reaction to the impact. However, no sooner did Ianos impacted the floor when the familiar copper clad form of Carina suddenly went flying, letting out a small squeal as she arched over the heads of her team. Seconds later, she too impacted the metallic floor with a resounding 'slam', causing everyone present to once more flinch at the impact. It was then Esther turned her green optics towards Ianos, feeling the others do the same as the Awoken Warlock stood up and brushed the front of his cloak, hearing him grumble under his breath. He then lifted his gaze up towards the others.

From the way he reacted to Carina's sudden tackle, Esther had half anticipated the Warlock to snap at the others for their stunned gaze, hissing out insults and losing his temper at the simple act. However, to her surprise, the female Hunter watched with wide optics as the Awoken Warlock's shoulders slumped and another sigh escaping his lips, "Shall we head out before we waste any more time?"

Giving the male Guardian another bewildered look, Esther responded with a nod and couldn't help but jump as Ianos suddenly disappeared in a flash of binary code not long after her simple gesture. She was never going to get used to seeing others transmat out of her sight. Not long after, Esther felt her body feel light, signaling to the female Exo to spread out her arms and legs as white filled her vision. Then just as soon as it occurred, Esther found herself in the seat of her ship, her hands instinctively reaching for her controls as Vulcan materialized over her shoulder.

"You're taking lead, Esther," The female Exo jumped as Ianos' voice echoed through the coms, "You're the only one who knows where this mystical 'object' is located."

Esther couldn't help but frown at the Awoken Warlock's words, "It is not an 'object', it is a sentient being that helped me get out of the archive alive."

That's when the coms went silent, causing the Huntress to shift uncomfortably in her seat before reaching over and pressing several buttons on her console, hearing her ship's engines flare to life as she eased her ship off the landing pad. However, as she steered her ship outside of the Hangar, a whisper echoed through the coms, barely audible for her audio receptors to catch.

"I'm sorry."

Xxxxx

"Pluto! Put that away!"

The Exo Hunter knew he had promised Ianos he wouldn't resort to violence when he confronted the Vanguard. But no sooner had the Awoken Warlock left his presence when all that was thrown out the window. The instant Pluto had sent Met, Polaris, and Cordelia back to their quarters, he had stomped his way towards the Hall, sniper drawn. Now Pluto knows that this could get him exiled or worse, marked as a Rogue and Nix forcibly taken away from him, but despite his age, 'The Executioner' is known for his short temper when it comes to his 'family'.

"And give me a good reason why I should!" Pluto hissed out, his red optics narrowing behind the scope of his sniper, easily weaving it around not only at the Vanguard, but any other Guardian present that attempt to disarm him, "You promised not only the rest of the Clan, not only Ianos, but Esther as well that we would not contact her! Even after her memory was wiped!" The Exo Hunter's finger twitched against the trigger, only to pause as he twirled around to an approaching Guardian, causing them to pause in their steps and slowly back away, "You promised! And you broke it!"

"That was 'years ago,', Pluto," Ikora retorted, her bronze gaze narrowing at the Hunter, "It is time for not only you, but 'all' of you to move on. Even Huntress Esther, despite her lack of knowledge."

"And who gave you the power to manipulate our personal lives?" Pluto snarled, his words causing the Warlock Vanguard to reel back in surprise, "When it is time for us to move on, we will move on, but not by 'your' hand, understand?!"

"Hunter Pluto."

Hearing his name resound in his audio receptors, Pluto twirled his sniper around only to pause as the familiar white mask of the Speaker flashed into his scope, causing him to lower his weapon as his red optics glance up at the white garbed Guardian.

"Hunter Pluto, if you may." The Speaker gestured with his hand to follow before he turned, crossed his arms behind his back, and slowly made his way towards the exit.

Sheathing his sniper onto his back, Pluto turned and gave the Vanguard one last glare before turning and following the Speaker out.

"I can imagine with all that screaming and yelling, you have a good reason for pointing your weapon at Ikora, Cayde, and Zavala."

A frown flashing onto his metallic features, Pluto let out a scoff, "If you had heard us yelling, then you know exactly why I pointed my weapon at them, Speaker."

It was then the Hunter Exo heard the Speaker heave out a sigh and noticed the slight side to side motion of his head. For newborn Guardians, they would have immediately felt guilty, small compared to the Speaker, the obviously older Guardian radiating light filled with experience and wisdom. But Pluto, admittedly just a few years younger than the Speaker, only felt annoyed at this small gesture but nonetheless, couldn't get himself to get upset at the white garbed Guardian. It always had been like that, even back before the Speaker took on his current role.

Although his face always obscured and most of his body hidden behind the garments adorning his body, the Speaker has this special aura that whoever is in his presences, feels a sense of peace, or at least, feel like they can tell the Speaker anything and know that any information can be kept secret with just a simple statement. Pluto had heard from many Warlocks their theories, ranging from his personality to the sense of need of latching onto an enigmatic figure to help cope with the dangers of the world they currently live in. Although it was Neptune's theory that made the most sense to the Exo Hunter. Neptune theorized that the Speaker has a unique light, or at least mastered his light in a way that it can only be used by him. Spreading his light out like an aura, it gives anyone in proximity warmth and comfort, letting others easily tell their secrets to the enigmatic figure. This made sense to Pluto since although all Guardians have the capability to wield light, including the Speaker, the Speaker himself is the only one who seemingly can communicate with the Traveler. The only explanation that the Hunter can think of is that the Speaker's light must be unique, at least, to the individual. Or that was what Neptune and Pluto theorized. But for now, Pluto came to slow pause as they made it to his quarters, the Speaker promptly turning around and fixing his gaze onto the Exo Hunter.

"I understand this has to do with Esther-8?"

Pluto flinched, "It's actually Esther-9 now."

The Exo Hunter watched the Speaker pause, his head tilted slightly as if to take in Pluto's words before nodding once, "I see. This has to do with the arrangement between her, the Clan Galaxy, and Warlock Ianos?"

When Pluto responded with a nod of his own, the Speaker let out a small, 'I see' before promptly turning and facing the pendulum located in the middle of the room. Figuring the silence looming over the two was a sign that the Speaker was thinking quietly to himself, Pluto turned his attention to the same pendulum, letting his red optics following the rounded patterns the bronze plates shadowed. As he followed the pendulum pieces, Pluto's red optics spotted the familiar hologram in the middle: a hologram of the Traveler. Letting his gaze trace over the patterned surface, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but let faded memories resurface.

" _This the Traveler." They carried no names but titles. The Exo next to him with blue plates and white optics carried the title of 'EXO-COM/MED-86'. "From what I can understand, our blue prints came from it. Our origin."_

"I understand why you are frustrated, Hunter Pluto," The Exo Hunter shook his head before fixating his red optics back onto the Speaker, letting the last pieces of old memories buzz in the back of his mind, "however, I do not believe it gives you the right to aim your weapon at the Vanguard."

Pluto couldn't help but frown at the Speaker's words, "But Speaker, the three of them constantly keep manipulating those around us to force us to move on. Yes, it is important to move on past deaths and losses but we have the right to move on at our own pace." Pluto fixated his gaze downwards, muttering out, "We maybe Guardians but we still have emotions."

"I understand," Feeling a hand press down onto his shoulder, Pluto snapped his gaze up back towards the Speaker, his red optics squinting in a vain attempt to read through the mask, "Many of us deal with grief differently and I understand that the Vanguard have no right to force you to move on in such a manner." Blinking once, the Exo Hunter watched as the Speaker lower his hand back to his side, "However, I believe that they hold good intentions in their actions."

Pluto couldn't help but give the Speaker a blank stare, "Oh? And how so?"

"It is true that time to grieve is important, however, we are in a time of war. There is no time to prolong grief, especially when the Darkness is at our front door," Letting the words of the Speaker ring in the back of his mind, Pluto couldn't help but let out a flinch at the truth hidden in the white garbed Guardian's words as the latter continued, "The Vanguard was patient, to let you and the others avoid contact with Esther. But it was only a matter of time before your interaction becomes inevitable. We are still at war Pluto, the Vanguard only wanted to nudge you and the others into the process of healing, despite what you initially thought."

"They could have at least told us," Pluto reeled back at his own words, shocked at how he was unable to hold back his 'tongue'.

"If they did, you would have been outraged," If the Speaker noticed his blunder, he showed no signs of it as he continued, "And from what I heard in the Hall just moments ago, I believe if they had just told you, things would have turned a bit more 'violent'."

Processing the words of the Speaker in the back of his mind, Pluto couldn't help but mentally agree; he may deny it at times but the Exo Hunter does carry a temper if he felt like he had been wronged.

"You are not the only one that they are trying to ease into the healing process," The Speaker added, earning a bewildered look from the Exo Hunter, "If you can remember, they let Akiva stay with Neve and his child, to give him time to properly move on from the loss of his previous Fireteam. And they forced Ianos to work with Esther, despite his protests, to help him accept that his 'sister' is no more."

"And I know it may seem harsh," Pluto shut his mouth, "However, such as I stated before, we are in a time of war. There is no time to properly grieve for the dead, especially for prolonged periods of time. We need our soldiers out there, ready, and stable. You know this as well as I do Pluto. After all, you are just a few years younger than I."

That's when reality hit Pluto hard in the chest. True, he maybe one of the oldest Guardians out there but the Speaker perhaps could be the oldest. This maybe not have been proven as of y et but Pluto recalls meeting the Speaker back when he was just a newborn, a mask obscuring most of his face besides the bottom half, but even then, he carried an air of wisdom and experience, one that had already seen comrades fall and never get up. He may be only a few years older from what Pluto can recall, but he had experienced far more loss than Pluto ever had, especially back during the Dark Age.

"I understand," The Exo Hunter found himself saying and instantly, he saw the Speaker nod once in approval.

"I just sent the Vanguard a message to keep you updated, no matter the circumstances, on Ianos and his team's whereabouts," Pluto blinked at the Speaker's words, "I know that you carry concern for the team, especially for Ianos and Esther, for what I can understand, you see them as your own." The Speaker lifted his hand and gave Pluto a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "But I do believe that with the current team that they are in, they should return to the Tower safely."

As such, Pluto watched the Speaker lower his hand and return to his desk, a sign for the Exo Hunter to turn and exit his quarters.

"Do you truly think the Vanguard is doing all this to help us move on?" It was Nix, the Ghost's words sinking into Pluto's mind as he added, "I don't know, it seems kind of sudden, and harsh…"

"It's like what the Speaker said, we are in the middle of a war," Pluto muttered, sensing the bewildered glance from the viridian Ghost, "We may have some time to grieve, but we only have so much time before the Darkness gains footing." He then heaved out a sigh, "I hate to admit it, but the Speaker's words ring true. Despite our protests, a speedier healing process is needed if we are to be at top condition."

"Even if it means breaking promises we have made to our comrades?"

The Exo Hunter hesitated, "If it means if it helps us move on, I believe it may be needed."

"But you are still not happy about it, are you?"

Pluto gave no response to Nix's words.

* * *

 _And there's this chapter! :D_


	43. Found

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Found**_

 _Phew, it's Wednesday! And I made it! Whoot!_

 _I'm surprised actually, especially since I played SRL all last night lol._

 _Anyways, thanks to Lazypersons (as always! appreciate it!) for the review!_

* * *

Hidden behind rotting buildings and boulders, the surroundings around the base were high enough to provide cover from the elements such as sandstorms and blizzards. This also helps keeping heat in when winter approaches, with radiators planted around the valley to ensure the Eliksni inhabitants are warm and comfortable. For shelter, many of the buildings are built from remnants of fallen aircrafts, such as rockets and (if they were fortunate) dismembered Guardian ships. Smaller crafts were built into homes big enough to fit at least three Eliksni or possibly two, counting on their rank, while the bigger crafts are used for other tasks such as a lab for the Splicers or for the Servitors to manufacture precious ether. However, such territory is tantalizing target for scavengers, specifically Eliksni of other Houses or curious Guardians. As such, scouts are planted on top of the valley with only one main entrance to ensure security. For quick escapes if they were to be found, there is a separate tunnel leading to the skiffs and ketches which are hidden nearby in another valley. However, thanks to the work of members of the House of Spirits, the hidden valley has escaped prying eyes of Guardians and had fought off enemy scavengers, maintaining peace within the Eliksni's makeshift home. For this, most House of Spirit members stay within the safety of the valley, warm and comfortable from the dangers outside. As such, when Axtris stepped out of the main entrance to follow her littermate, she was immediately hit with a wave of cold air, sending chills throughout her body. Pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders in an attempt to stay warm, the female Vandal took careful steps in the snow as Vellak took the lead, the Captain seemingly unfazed by the cool breeze.

" _Can Guardians die from the cold?"_ Axtris found herself asking, pausing immediately after her question left her lips as she fixated her wide four eyes onto Vellak's back.

Sensing her littermate still stiff from the rage of the actions of the Vandal from earlier, she was surprised to see the Captain's shoulders slump, his tight grip on his staff slowly relaxing, and heaving out a sigh, " _From my experience, I believe they can, although I am unsure."_

Curiosity immediately peaked in the younger Eliksni's mind and Axtris couldn't help but rumble out another question, " _So even if we do manage to find this Guardian, the cold might claim them?"_

It was then Axtris saw her elder littermate lift his gaze upwards, as if to contemplate on the falling flakes of snow cascading around them. Then fixating his gaze forward once more, the female Vandal saw him brush snow absent mindedly from his shoulders, letting the flakes fall to the ground.

" _Perhaps, if they have not moved from their position."_ Vellak responded, using his staff to help him skid down a small hill carefully before pausing and turning around to wait for Axtris to slide down the hill behind him, " _Let us just pray that their Ghost is still intact."_

Nodding her head once in response to her elder littermate's words, Axtris waited until the Captain marched forward, using him as cover from the falling white flakes. However, not long after, she heard Vellak snarl and curse, coming to a sudden halt as he slammed the end of his staff into the ground. Curious but a sense of dread falling into the pit of her stomach, Axtris glanced over her elder littermate's shoulder, only to feel her heart skip a beat.

In front of them was a black Sparrow, flipped on its side with scraps of metal trailing behind, its pedals and plates torn apart from the crash. Not far behind it, there was a thin trail of where it had skidded along and besides it, was a faded imprint of a body, most likely the owner of the Sparrow. From there, another trail can be seen imprinted in the snow leading to another archway however this trail was smeared red, the falling flakes slowly covering the tracks.

" _Quickly, we have to hurry before we lose track of them."_

Tearing her gaze away from the crash, Axtris shook her head before fixating her four eyes back onto the male Captain, nodding once to signal to Vellak to turn and follow the trail.

Xxxxx

"You sure this is the right area?"

Esther turned and gave Spirit a blank look, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know I couldn't recognize an area where one of my comrades in arms 'died'."

"Hey, he was my friend too."

"You didn't see him 'die' now did you? So shut your mouth and let me do my job before I turn around and aim this hand cannon at your face."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Want to go?"

"Come on you two," Aleeza stepped in between the two Guardians, ignoring their narrowed glances at each other as she added, "I know the two of you are stressed over Alyx's death but I don't think he would like to know that two of his comrades are fighting. So if you may, let's continue on and find this 'archive' that Esther keeps talking about it. And if we're lucky, we should be able to find Nora along the way."

Hearing the female Warlock mention the late Titan's Ghost, Esther couldn't help but flinch but nonetheless fixated her green optics onto Spirit and nodded once, a sign for the Exo Warlock to do the same; although she didn't miss the slight gesture of his hands, seeing the way they gripped his own hand cannon. A sign to the Huntress that the heat between the two of them isn't over; most than likely after this mission has been finished, they will take it to the Crucible to ease things. Letting the image of two Exo fighting flash in the back of her mind, Esther couldn't help but snort quietly to herself before taking the lead once more, her gaze flashing around her surroundings in an attempt to recognize familiar territory, "Not too far we should-"

It was then the Huntress came to a pause, her gaze locking onto the familiar buildings in front of her. Unlike the other buildings located on Venus, the building was unique for its elaborate archway, with angels of marble holding up a bronze banner and the words long corroded from time. If one enters through the archway, there would be a park surrounded by four buildings and if it were back in the time of the Golden Age, the few trees and benches would be a wondrous spot to simply sit down and enjoy some time to themselves while others walk around the pathways aligned within the inner part of the park. Now, it is a trap for Guardians with overgrown trees and mounds to use for cover but with plenty of spaces and holes for enemies to crawl out of, with the only exit being the archway.

It was then the imagery of Alyx came into the Huntress' mind, remembering when the Vex flashed around them, slowly enclosing around the three Guardians before Luther grabbed onto Esther and pulled her through the archway, enabling her to witness the Awoken Guardian's death. Tightening her grip on the handle of her hand cannon, Esther couldn't help but repeat the last moments of Alyx's life within the back of her mind, her memory clearly playing out the way his Ward was easily taken down by numerous Vex fire before his armor and flesh was seared from his bones, followed by the blue and orange shell of Nora easily being crushed in the Minotaur's grasp.

"Esther? You okay?"

Feeling a hand clamp down onto her shoulder, the female Exo jumped, literately twirling around mid-air to face the one who had touched her. Her gaze then locked onto the black and white clad form of Angel, the male Hunter visibly taking a few steps back, his raised shoulders and the way his head shook from surprise revealing his startled status.

"M-My apologies," Esther managed to stutter out, dipping her head once apologetically as she added, "I was deep in thought. I just glanced up and Alyx…" She paused, letting her hands drop to her sides as the Titan's name left her lips, "I just..."

It was then she once again felt a hand clamp down onto her shoulder but this time, she welcomed it, placing a hand of her own on top of the male Hunter's, "…I'm sorry."

Esther then watched Angel shake his head, "You just had watched a friend die in front of you earlier today and now you're back in the field, given no time to grieve over his death. Take your time."

A smile tugging on the edges of her 'lips', Esther couldn't help but feel flustered at the same time as she nodded once. From what she can gather, she was old, or at least old compared to most Guardians. She had been alive just a few years before the City Age, proven from an auto rifle she had awoken to carrying on her back, the year etched onto its side corresponding with her revival date according to Vulcan. Despite her memory wipe, Esther couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that a younger Guardian, practically a newborn compared to her, is giving her comfort; then again, she also feels like age should not matter when it comes to helping others in their time of need, especially when in emotional turmoil.

Feeling the younger Hunter's grasp leave her shoulder, Esther took it as a sign to turn around and lock her gaze onto the archway. Taking in a deep breath, the Huntress then proceeded forward, hearing footsteps fall behind her as they approached the entrance.

"Is that Alyx?"

Once again, Esther came to a dead halt, her gaze locking onto a mound only to instantly recognize it as the same one that she and the others had taken refuge. And there, just at the foot of it, was the familiar red clad form of Alyx; his back pressed to the wet marsh with his weapons strewn around him and on his chest, was the blue and red remnants of his Ghost. Seeing the faint glint of metal and debris on his chest, Esther gulped before she took tentative steps forward, closing the space between her and the body. However, as soon as she loomed over Alyx's form, she immediately regretted it.

Contrary to belief, Vex fire from Goblins and Hobgoblins do not cauterize wounds despite its nature, its high speed fire actually cutting through armor and flesh like butter, leaving its target with open wounds large enough for them to bleed out even if they miss a vital point. The only protection from it was to ensure shields are at its max or to hide behind cover, waiting until the Vex were distracted charging on its next shot to ensure safety. As such, Alyx's body was looked as though he had went through a shredder, parts of his body, especially his limbs, scattered around him with pieces of his armor lying next to him. His helmet looked as though it had been hit with an axe, half of the armor piece sticking to his face while the other half laid on the hearth. To Esther's surprise, his face was amazingly unscathed, revealing his dull green eyes and blood spilling from his lips. The unique mist like features of the Awoken was gone, leaving only faint white scars of where they once were.

If Esther was organic, she would have turned and vomited however, this was one of the few rare occasions where she was glad that she was made of metal and wires. Kneeling down, Esther held out her hand and held it over Alyx's chest, signaling to Vulcan to release his scanner and pick up the remnants of Nora, watching her Ghost reconfigure the shell. Hearing someone gag behind her, Esther made no attempt to turn and face who; she already had a guess that it was Angel, the human Hunter the only one organic between the youngest two of the team. The Huntress can already guess the others already have seen bodies in similar condition.

As Vulcan worked, Esther saw movement from the corner of her optics, causing her to turn her head to the Guardian next to her. It was Spirit, the green Exo sitting on his knees as his body trembled, his hands held out as if to pick up the body but kept scanning Alyx's still form, as if unsure of what to do.

"We will give you two a moment," It was Ianos' voice, the Awoken's accent quite clear in Esther's auditory sensors, causing her to turn her head towards the male Guardian, just in time to see him turn and head off towards one of the many entrances of the four surrounding buildings.

"Done."

Turning her green optics back towards Vulcan, Esther glanced down to see the completed shell of Nora, prompting the Huntress to lean down and delicately scoop the unmoving AI into her palms. Cupping the Ghost in her hands, Esther held out Nora, looking into her optic in an attempt to even gain a hint of life, hope glinting in the back of Esther's mind as she searched. However, to her dismay, Nora's optic, a once beautiful sheen of green filled with life and giddiness, was dull and missing of color, a sign of the Ghost's passing. Feeling grief fill the back of her mind, Esther forced herself to turn and hold Nora out towards Spirit, watching the Warlock snap his gaze away from his teammate's body and look up at her with a bewildered gaze. Sensing the confused look from behind Spirit's visor, Esther state, "You have known him longer than I, so I believe Alyx would have liked it if you return Nora home, Spirit."

That's when Esther saw his shoulders slump, his hands falling into his lap before she heard him exhale sharply, as if to completely clear his airways of air. Then after a moment of silence, Spirit lifted his shaking hands and delicately took Nora from Esther's grasp, giving her a single nod, "Thank you."

Letting another smile form on her metallic features, Esther simply reached out and patted Spirit on the shoulder several times before returning her focus back onto Alyx's body, watching the Exo Warlock transfer Nora's shell into his Ghost before she stated, "Are you attuned to Solar Light?"

That's when she sensed the Warlock turn and give her a puzzled gaze, "Yes, why do you want to know?"

Saying nothing, Esther simply raised her hand and let flames materialize onto her fingertips before reaching over and pressing a hand onto Alyx's chest. No sooner had she done this when she saw Spirit do the same, solar light dancing around his fingers as he too pressed his hand onto the late Titan's chest; he had caught on quickly. However, before the two can properly send their solar light into their comrade's body, a hand wrapped onto their wrists, startling the two Exo as they both snapped to the individual in between them, only to recognize the familiar black and white clad figure of Angel, the latter of which tore their grip away from Alyx's chest.

"What are you-"

Esther paused mid-sentence as Angel lifted a finger to his lips (or at least where she believes where his lips were on his helmet) before nodding his head over to the others. Although puzzled at her fellow Hunter's antics, Esther complied to his actions, turning her head towards the direction of his nod. There, she noticed Carina and Aleeza standing in front of Ianos to the point where the Huntress can hardly see the male Warlock, as if intending to block off the Veteran Guardian. Although she can hardly see Ianos, she can tell from the way Aleeza held up her hands and on occasion would take a step back before resuming her position that the male Warlock was not pleased and she swore she saw Ianos attempting to press his hands onto the shoulders of the two Guardians only to be pushed back by Carina, the female Titan easily keeping her stance between him and the others.

Bewildered by the altercation, Esther turned her gaze towards Angel, the Hunter simply shaking his head before pressing his hands down onto the ground; a sign that Esther recognizes as a means to stay quiet and to wait. This only earned the Hunter another puzzled gaze but nonetheless, Esther returned her focus back onto the others just in time to witness Ianos throw his hands into the air in defeat. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Esther only let out a silent 'ah' of understanding when both Carina pumped her fist into the air and Aleeza let out a laugh before the two of them took an arm each and led the Warlock away and out of the trio's sight.

"What in the Darkness was that for?" It was Spirit who asked the question, causing Esther to turn her focus back onto Angel, her hidden gaze asking the human Guardian the same question.

"Aleeza had a suspicion that the two of you would want to cremate Alyx's body," Angel responded, earning a blink from Esther, "So she told me to stop you two just long enough to ensure Ianos is out of sight."

Letting the female Warlock's plan sink into the back of her mind, Esther couldn't help but give the human Hunter a blank look, "Now why would she do that? It's just Solar light."

No sooner had the words left her lips when she immediately saw Angel's shoulders tense, his hands slowly curling into fists and then heard him let out a slight wheeze, "H-how about you just cremate Alyx's body and gather his ashes before Ianos returns alright? Aleeza and Carina can only fool him into 'patrolling' for so long, especially since he's was already apprehensive to go."

That's when Esther narrowed her optics, suspicion immediately taking hold in the back of her mind, "Oh? Why the sudden change in subject? Is there something I should know about with Warlock Ianos and Solar light?"

"It's nothing!" Angel must have sensed the doubtful stare he earned from Esther for he immediately added, "Honest!"

Doubt still lingering in the back of her mind, Esther opened her mouth to express her words only to see Spirit reach out and place his hand on Alyx's chest, solar light already licking within his fingers, "We'll talk about it later. For now, I think it's time to give Alyx a proper burial or at least, prepare him for one."

Although both suspicious and curiosity still ate away at Esther, the Huntress decided she will let it go, for now. As such, with Solar light flickering against her fingers once more, she placed her hand on Alyx's chest and waited until she felt Spirit release his light before letting her light sync in with his. Immediately, flames dispersed throughout Alyx's remains, eating away at any flesh or armor that was left behind during his death and just as suddenly as it appeared, it dispersed, leaving nothing but ashes of where Alyx's body was once located. Nodding her head once in confirmation, Esther leaned back to let Spirit lean in and hold out his Ghost, letting the small AI gather their deceased comrade's ashes.

"We're back!"

The female Titan's announcement caused Esther to snap her attention back towards the entrance, just in time to see Carina and the others appear into view. Half expecting Ianos to be in a bitter mood, the Huntress was surprised to see instead that not only the male Warlock but also Aleeza and Carina to be covered in dirt and blood, the familiar vermillion color against their armor a telltale sign of their targets.

"Turns out Aleeza and I were right about patrolling the area," Esther couldn't help but see a smug look behind Carina's visor as the female Titan turned her gaze towards Ianos, only to hear the latter grumble under his breath, "There was a bunch of Eliksni scouts nearby. Only took a few minutes to take care of them." The Exo Titan then placed one hand on her lip while the other leveraged her weapon before puffing out her chest, "Now we should be free of enemies."

"At least, until we enter the archive," Ianos pointed out and almost immediately Carina's posture slumped, the female Exo grumbling out what Esther believes to be, 'party killer' before reaching over and punching said Warlock on the shoulder, hard enough to cause him to stumble sideways. Esther did not have to see through his visor to sense the glare that the Warlock had given the female Titan after he regained his footing. No sooner had he regained his balance, Ianos then turned and slammed his palm into Carina's chest, sending her flying back and skidding across the marsh.

"Ianos!" Esther can easily sense the glare behind the female Warlock's helmet as Ianos turned and simply shrugged, apathetic to the fact that he had hit his own Fireteam member, "She's tough enough to take a hit."

The female Exo then watched Aleeza lift a hand, as if she had something else to add, before she paused and finally shook her head and shrugged it off; apparently, what she was going to say next wasn't going to be significant enough for the male Warlock.

Seeing Carina push herself back onto her feet, Esther couldn't help but turn her wide optics towards Angel, "Is this normal for your Fireteam?"

The way the Hunter tilted is head as he leaned back showed Esther that he was caught offguard by her question, further proven when he remarked, "What do you mean?"

"Being this physical? Hiding things from each other?"

"What?" Esther can sense the bewildered gaze behind Angel's visor, "We don't hide things from each other. We get physical yes, but we don't hide anything." He then paused, "Well, anything small at least."

"What?"

"You guys finished?"

All eyes turned towards the other three Guardians, only to see Aleeza waving them over, "Come on, the sooner we get this mission done, the sooner we can head back to the Tower."

"And spend some time with some 'friends', if you know what I mean?" Esther glanced back and forth between Carina and Aleeza as the latter laughed, earning a shake of the head from Ianos in response as the female Titan added, "The instant we get back?"

"The instant we get back," Esther can't help but think that Aleeza winked at the Exo Titan behind her visor, "Make sure to lock the door this time."

"Never again am I walking in without knocking," Ianos muttered.

Immediately, Esther heard Angel sputter beside her, causing the female Exo to turn her head and blink at the human Guardian, "You walked in on Carina and Aleeza why they were doing the sexy, sexy time?"

"Shut up," The Huntress can sense the blank stare from behind Ianos' visor, "And why the fuck do you call it that? Simply call it intercourse or sex if you want to be blunt about it?"

"Then it's not funny."

"…. I fucking swear Cayde is rubbing off on you, Angel."

A laugh was the male Hunter's answer, Esther watching him pick himself up and walk towards his Fireteam; the Huntress cannot help but feel like Angel is smiling behind his visor, "Hey, I can't help it, he's my mentor."

"And so is all other newborn Hunter's under his command."

"Hey, we have to somehow utilize our light properly, right?"

"Is that why the Vanguard placed the two of you under Pluto and I's tutelage?"

"Rude!" Esther can easily sense the smile behind the female Titan's visor and to the female Hunter's surprise, she playfully punched him on the shoulder, as if already having forgotten the fact that Ianos retaliated for the same gesture earlier. However, to Esther's surprise, Ianos simply rubbed the area of impact lifting his head up slightly, a sign that the female Exo recognizes as one rolling their eyes.

"A weird bunch, aren't they?"

Jumping, Esther turned her green optics towards Spirit just in time to see his Ghost materialize out of sight, an obvious sign that he had finished gathering Alyx's ashes, "You should have seen them when they're together with Akiva and Pluto, back when he used to be part of their Fireteam."

Esther simply blinked, "What? You mean this is normal for them?"

"Yes," Spirit replied as he picked himself up, stretching his arms above his head before leaning forward and offering a hand towards Esther; she accepted his offer and wrapped her hand around his, using him as leverage to pull herself up onto her feet, "From those outside of their personal circle, it would seem like they do not get along and that their relationship is rather strained. However, if you get to know them, this is just their way of showing affection to each other. Constant teasing and getting physical. Of course, the latter cannot be life threatening but nonetheless, they use that to show they care."

"That is a strange way of showing companionship," Esther murmured, earning a chuckle from her fellow Exo, "Trust me, back then, my Fireteam and I were completely dumbfounded at how easily they tossed each other around but in the end, they always ensure that the hits aren't lethal enough to kill, just enough to knock them back a bit." He then shrugged, "Darkness, I highly doubt their hits are actually hard enough to bruise each other."

"And how open they are?"

"That's just the way they are," Esther couldn't help but think Spirit's laugh was his reaction to the blank stare he received from behind her visor, "I know it's weird to hear others talk about sexual intercourse so openly, but those two, Carina and Aleeza, couldn't care less, even if they are around strangers. Traveler, I remember this one time they invited another Guardian to their room for a threesome after he overheard them talking about a 'night of fun'."

Esther's optics grew wide, "And he accepted?"

The Huntress can easily sense the smile behind Spirit's visor, "They're sexually adventurous, can't change that."

Letting her jaw hang open, Esther held out her hands towards Spirit before turning to face Fireteam Redacted and then back towards her fellow Exo, her expression completely baffled as she stated, "Even when a dead comrade is around?"

To Esther's surprise, Spirit let out a short laugh, causing the female Hunter's shoulders to slump, her optics wider than ever as the Exo Warlock stated, "You have to admit, their antics maybe out of place at times but they do lift the air a bit, don't you think?"

"But there is a time and place for everything," Esther retorted, "And now is not the time for it."

That's when Esther felt the air around Spirit shift and she cannot help but the smile that she has sensed behind his visor dissipate, "How old are you, Esther?"

Taken back from his question, Esther couldn't help but take a couple of steps back, her optics blinking several times before she stuttered out, "I-I am not completely sure but I estimated that I was resurrected a tad before the City Age."

"But…?"

Esther couldn't help but give Spirit a blank look; she couldn't help but feel like Spirit put two and two together when it came to Ianos' reaction towards her and how she reacted back. She guesses that Hunters aren't the only ones with keen eyes.

"I had a memory wipe," She admitted, hearing Spirit let out a short breath of approval, "From what I know, it cleaned everything out except my knowledge of my abilities."

"So, you don't remember death of comrades? Or the stress of dying and being resurrected again?"

That's when Esther paused, hesitating at her fellow Exo's question. Now that he had brought it up, Alyx was the first death she can recall since her memory was wiped alongside her death count; if she remembers correct, Esther had spent most of years recuperating from her amnesiac state before heading back into the field and even then, it was mainly to keep an eye on potential dangers of the City; she hardly ever gets caught up in a fight.

Her silence must have been enough to answer Spirit's question, for the Exo Warlock then remarked, "It is true that there is a time and place to fool around but you must understand, the stresses of war is not to be underestimated, especially when it comes to a death of a comrade. What do you think would happen if you continue on with a mission when your mind is overtaken by grief." Esther gave no response, prompting the Exo Warlock to continue, "It may seem like they do not care but in truth it is to help us relieve the tension in the air, especially since we successfully recovered not only Alyx's body but Nora as well. It is not very common that we are able to find both Guardian and Ghost to put to rest." Once again, Esther had no words to respond to Spirit's words, "As such, with the knowledge that we can have a proper burial, their antics is to ensure that Alyx's death is not in our minds when we go in search of this supposed 'Warmind', if there is such one, so it would not distract us. Older Guardians know the only time to properly grieve is when you are safe and sound in the Tower, where enemies cannot harm you and where death is not imminent."

Esther cannot help but remain silent once more however, she turned her gaze towards members of Fireteam Redacted, watching them converse as she let Spirit's words sink into the back of her mind. Although she understood where the Exo Warlock was coming from, she cannot help but still feel offended by the team's nonchalant attitude towards their surroundings, especially when she just watched Carina reach over and punch Angel in the arm, causing the Hunter to stumble back a few steps before rubbing his armor as he let out a protest. A comrade in arms had just died, did they not care?

Esther then heard Spirit heave out a sigh, as if easily able to read her thoughts before she felt fingers touch her arm, causing the Huntress to focus her attention back onto the Exo Warlock, "Just think about it. But for now, don't you we think have a mission to accomplish?"

Then without another word, Spirit headed towards the others, Esther watching the Fireteam pause in their antics as the male Exo called them out. Blinking several times where she stood, Esther couldn't help but reach down and grip her hand cannon tightly in its holster. They were in a time of war, there was no such time to act so chivalrous in enemy territory. That's what got 'him' killed after all.

" _Oh come on Esther, it's a simple walk through the City," A yellow Exo with orange optics smiled at her as he held her hand comfortingly in his, "They just built a new sector, Little Light and I are curious is all." He then laughed, the response she gave him quiet in her receptors as he added, "Don't worry, I highly doubt the humans will attack 'two' Solders of Light out on a stroll, even with all this anti-human mumbo jumbo going on." His optics softened as he reached out with one of his hands and caressed her cheek, "We'll be fine, I promise."_

Snapping back into reality, Esther shook her head several times, letting the words ring in the back of her mind.

' _What was that?',_ She thought to herself, letting the image of the yellow Exo flash back into her mind, ' _and who...?'_

"Esther! Do you know the way from here!?"

Snapping her attention back towards the group, Esther blinked several times as Spirit gestured her to come over, causing her to nod and respond, "The entrance to the archive is just this way."

Turning her back towards the team, Esther couldn't help but know that Spirit was right about one thing; grief should not hold them back from completing their mission.

Xxxxx

They found him but he wasn't going to be found so easily without a fight.

Both Axtris and Vellak found their missing Guardian, having following the trail of blood and the imprints in the snow to easily locate their quarry. Dressed in black armor with red highlights, the Guardian is a Titan, having dragged themselves into a nearby cave to tend to his wounds and to hide from potential threats.

The two littermates have found him in the middle of process of healing, his Ghost beaming light into his wound as they entered the cave. No sooner had the Titan turned and fixated his gaze onto the two Eliksni that his Ghost materialize out of sight and he picked up his scout rifle and fired, causing Vellak and Axtris to dive back outside into cover. Now every time the two of them try to peek their head into the cave, a shot will narrowly miss their head, causing them to snap back.

Vellak couldn't help but let out a frustrated growl, "We are friends, Guardian. We mean no harm! Let us help you!"

"Like how you helped injure my Guardian?!" The voice was synthetic, a sign that it was the Guardian's Ghost that had spoken out, causing Vellak to let out another snarl.

It is true that that Fallen weaponry fire mostly heated shots and metal, leaving burns if a Guardian even got grazed by their bullets. However, if a Fallen got lucky with their shot, the heated compacted metal would not only penetrate the flesh but also implode, leaving a mess of bone and meat if fired into the target properly. And from the trail of blood that the Guardian had left behind, Vellak can only guess that the Guardian already had lost a substantial amount and that sooner or later he will succumb to the wound. Does not matter if he has his Ghost, the small AI can only heal so quickly and Vellak do not wish to send a Guardian back with news that they had been killed by a Fallen weaponry without proper aid before their death.

"That was not our intention!" Vellak retorted, hearing the Ghost scoff inside the cave before he added, "One of our own fired the shot but I promise you that he had done it against orders! We did not mean to harm your Guardian!"

"What makes you think I will believe you!? What if you are just saying this to get in and further harm my Guardian? Or even worse, kill me to ensure he does not come back?"

A deep rumble escaped Vellak and frustration was slowly getting to him. At this rate, the Ghost's Guardian will die and the Ghost will be left without protection, leaving them vulnerable to those it wishes to do it harm. A such, acting out of impatience, Vellak threw his staff into the cave.

" _Vellak."_

Ignoring the protest of his female littermate, Vellak clung to the side of the wall, using it as leverage as he made his way inside, completely exposing himself to the Guardian's fire. Wheezing at the exertion, the male Captain took several steps in before pausing, his four eyes glancing into the cave, half expecting the Titan to fire. To his relief, no sounds of gunfire rang in his ears but nonetheless, Vellak took slow and careful steps, limping his way into the cave. Finally, what seemed like eternity, his four eyes spotted the black and red clad figure of the Titan leaning in a corner and when he saw his injury, Vellak couldn't help but flinch.

The shot that the Vandal had fired had penetrated his right side and as Vellak expected, imploded, his armor doing little to protect him as it exposed his internal organs and the shattered remains of his ribcage. Watching the Titan use his left hand to cover his wound, as if to protect his exposed vitals, and pointing his scout rifle at him with his right, Vellak couldn't help but be amazed that the Guardian was able to keep his aim steady, let alone survive this long. Unfortunately, to Vellak's knowledge, although the injury would have killed a normal being, Guardians are far from normal and can usually take hits and continue in the battlefield. He guesses that although this injury is crippling, it may have not enough to kill the Guardian. Barely.

Watching the Guardian's finger twitch against the trigger of his weapon, Vellak couldn't help but kneel onto the rocky hearth as he rasped out, "Is that really necessary? Do you think I would be a threat when I can hardly stand without my staff?"

"You scavengers always have tricks up your sleeves," The Titan's Ghost hissed out, "never can be cautious with you."

Vellak couldn't help but let out a grunt; he may hate to admit it, but the small AI's words do carry some truth, "I understand." He then let out another grunt as he shifted himself in his seat, letting out a wheeze as he stated, "But my littermate and I would like to help."

"What makes you think that we need your help?"

The Captain heaved out a sigh at the Ghost's stubbornness, "Even if you are capable, your Guardian does not have long before he succumbs to his wound. And although you can just revive him, I highly doubt you can safely resurrect him here."

Vellak watched as the small AI narrowed their optics at him, "What?"

"This maybe near our home, but enemy Houses like to scout around here, hoping to find a weakness in our structure," Vellak responded, watching the Ghost pause at his words, "What would happen if you are in the process of resurrecting your Guardian but an enemy Fallen somehow makes your way here? How will you be able to fend for yourself? Let alone escape? Will you just flee and leave your Guardian behind? Forever a corpse once more?"

Pausing in his words, Vellak watched as the Ghost glanced back and forth between him and his Guardian, the Titan long ago having lowered his weapon to his side as he let out a cough, "Alright, fine. We'll accept your help. What's your plan?"

Nodding his head once, Vellak turned and motioned with two of his arms for Axtris to come in, the female Eliksni quickly but hesitantly making her way inside, "We will bring you to our home, that way we can properly treat your Guardian if we make it in time and if not, where you can safely resurrect him."

"Wait? The House of Spirits base of operations?" Vellak nodded as the Ghost's optics went wide, "But I thought-"

"It is only fair that we treat you in our home, especially after one of our own attacked you," Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Vellak turn his gaze to his side only to see Axtris, holding out his staff in her upper arms. Grasping his staff with his right hands, Vellak gave a nod as a sign of thanks before heaving himself onto his feet with a grunt, "But less talk, let us hurry and get your Guardian to safety."

Watching the Ghost nod once, the small AI glided to the side, gaining the two Eliksni access to the injured Guardian.

" _How are we supposed to carry him home?"_ Vellak tilted his head at his littermate's question before he responded, " _I will carry him."_

" _What?!"_ The male Captain watched Axtris turn as her four eyes widen, " _but how?"_

Vellak heaved out a sigh, " _I have four arms, Axtris. I am capable, just help me get him onto my back."_

Watching the female Eliksni tilt her head puzzled, Vellak then saw her four eyes widen in understanding before she nodding once, a sign for the Scribe to approach, turn, and kneel down. Waiting momentarily, Vellak heard Axtris let out a grunt before hearing the Guardian let out a groan, a sign that she had helped him get onto his feet. Then, feeling additional weight lean against his back, Vellak used his lower arms to support the Titan's legs, and then heaving himself into a standing position, shifting himself slightly to properly accommodate the injured Guardian on his back.

"Not worry. Vellak take care you. Guardian." Smirking at his littermate's broken words, the male Captain slowly making their way towards the exit of the cave.

"It's. Anthony. My name. Is Anthony."

Blinking several times, Vellak turned his head in an attempt to gain a better look at the Guardian, only to pause as silence permeated between members of the group. Letting out a low rumble, Vellak sped up his pace. He just prays that they would make it in time to save the Guardian's life, or at least give his Ghost a safe place to bring him back.

He also prays that this will not cause the Treaty to break between Eliksni and Guardians.

* * *

 _Anthony belongs to CarethnusiastZr1_


	44. Clear Out

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Clear Out_**

 _Screw me for the title, it's all I could think of lol. Anyway, I am going to try and update a special chapter on either Christmas Eve or Christmas, so expect an early update :D_

 _Thanks to Mantic64, Guest, and CarenthusiastZr1 for their reviews!_

 _Mantic64 \- Yeap, exactly :D_

 _Guest \- I try to give both the Guardians and the Fallen in this story equal time and love... harder than I anticipated lol_

 _CarenthusiastZr1_ _\- Thank you! ^_^. Tried my best lol_

* * *

" _Do you think the Soldier of Light will pull through the night?"_ Axtris asked, watching the younger Eliksni in front of her tilt his head in curiosity as he suckled on the piece of cloth he held in his hands, " _Or that he will die and his Ghost will have to revive him?"_

Instead of an immediate response, the young Eliksni let out a few chitters before dropping the blanket he held in his hands and pressed his palms against the fiber glass, chittering once more as Axtris let out a small chuckle.

The young Eliksni in front of her was one out of three of Ixrsis' litter and sadly, the only survivor. Axtris remembers the day quite clearly, when one of the Dregs came screeching out into the yard and shouted of the female Kell's labor. Everyone's response was immediate, all Eliksni rushing towards Ixrsis' quarters, pushing and shoving each other in an attempt to witness the birth of their Kell's pups. The reason is not only because that it was their Kell that was giving birth, but that it was the first birth that many of their kind had witnessed in years. Thankfully, Sirahks was able to push back many away from Ixrsis' quarters and only allowed a select few to witness the birthing; Axtris and her siblings were fortunate enough to be selected.

It was both beautiful and disturbing to the female Eliksni, having not witnessed any births throughout her lifetime but seeing new life being formed was fascinating. However, as soon as the pups were born they were all taken away into another room, much to Axtris' bewilderment, and it was only when she and her other littermates followed that she finally understood.

She had heard stories of her people's glory days, where they inhabited a planet where Ether naturally filtered the air, enabling the Eliksni to traverse through lands without the aid of the filters that she now currently wore. This also enabled Eliksni pups to be born without fear of suffocation, letting the sires cradle their newborns in their arms. But the world they live in now, it was different. No longer do they inhabit the world that naturally filled Ether, and neither are her people as powerful as they were before, reduced to scavengers on a foreign land. And their newborns immediately placed in an incubator constantly pumped with Ether just so that they can breathe. To add to the damage, newborns are also weak to sickness and diseases which cause their survival past birth even more difficult. This was quickly proven as a few hours later, one of Ixrsis' pups, the other male, grew ill and had passed away during the night. Not long after, the second of Ixrsis' pups, the lone female, also passed.

The tragedy of two of her three pups' deaths threw Ixrsis into grief, and that fact that her lone surviving pup also caught ill did not help matters. Expecting the worse, Axtris and the others of her kind prepared for the death of the lone surviving newborn. However, as morning came, to everyone's shock and glee, the third pup had survived the night. As the days passed, his condition stabled, bringing Ixrsis out of her grief and also pulled out her motherly instincts. At first, she had not let anyone get close to the pup's incubator, fearing visitors will carry deadly sickness to her child. However, as the months passed and the pup's strength grew, Ixrsis let visitors into the incubation room, where Axtris stands now.

The female Vandal constantly visits the young pup, mainly for the reason that she cannot fathom that she started out this way. With four beady eyes and arms that can barely keep themselves upright and small mandibles that constantly click for attention, the female Vandal was amazed that not just herself but her older littermates have been this vulnerable as well. Although the incubation chamber is usually filled with those who want to see the young Eliksni for themselves, it was currently empty, the female Vandal having snuck in during the middle of the night to make a visit. This was not unusual as Axtris casually talks to the young Eliksni as if though he can understand her, despite what others of her kind say. The reason for this is the young Eliksni's namesake.

'Tenshi', a name that both Ixrsis and Sirahks had found while searching for a name in the database currently available to them. The female Kell had wanted to name her child after 'Pure One', as a way to honor the human Guardian and as a subtle thanks to the human Akiva for naming his child after the late Baron. Wanting a name easier on the Eliksni tongue, the name 'Tenshi' appeared during their search, a name meaning 'Son of Heaven' or simply 'Angel' in a pre-Golden Age language. As such, his name has been inscribed onto a metal plaque, placed above his incubator to ensure everyone knows his name.

" _Do you understand me, young one?"_ Axtris pressed a hand onto the fiber glass, initiating the young Eliksni to do the same, " _If so, what do you think?"_

A high pitched chitter was Axtris' answer, causing the female Vandal to let out another chuckle as she peered into the glass, watching the younger Eliksni tilt his head in response. However, no sooner had he done this when his mandibles curled back to let out a snarl, his high pitched screeches echoing through the empty chamber. Her four eyes narrowing in bewilderment, Axtris then heard footsteps approach silently from behind, causing the female Vandal to abruptly turn around and unsheathe her shock daggers from her waist.

" _Anikis?"_

Letting the name of the Vandal slide off her tongue, Axtris couldn't help but lower her guard, especially when her fellow Eliksni fidgeted under her gaze, " _What are you doing here?"_

" _I came to your quarters in hopes of speaking with you,"_ Anikis responded as slumped towards the ground, " _I would have contacted you earlier in the day but with Inkolas around, I felt I had no choice but to talk to you late in the night."_

Blinking at the male Vandal's words, Axtris couldn't help but let out a small rumble in contemplation. Ever since Inkolas had won the right to mate with her, she had spied Anikis always nearby. But so was her new 'mate'. She would see him slink around corners in a vain attempt to reach her but would quickly pull back once the Splicer was in his sights, eyeing the other male Eliksni warily whenever he passed. But it was late and since Inkolas spends most of his day tinkering with artifacts, her 'mate' is currently in deep slumber and as she is in the incubation chamber, Axtris is away from his sharp gaze.

" _So you simply followed my scent here?"_ Axtris paused at the single nod she received from the male Vandal, " _What do you wish to speak with me about?"_

That's when she saw his arms tuck into his sides, his feet shifting side to side as he fiddled his upper hands together as he stuttered out, " _I-I still wish to mate with you."_

Letting the words of the male Eliksni sink into the back of her mind, Axtris quickly shook her head, " _You know as well as I do that you lost that right when Inkolas won the challenge."_

" _Then we can leave!"_ Axtris jumped at the sudden raise in volume of Anikis' voice, " _I can tell from the way that interact with Inkolas that you do not wish to mate with him, nor wish to be his mate."_ The female Vandal watched Anikis reach out with one of his upper hands, " _Come with me and you can be my mate instead."_

Blinking several times as she processed Anikis' words, Axtris glanced back and forth between his hand and the male Vandal, " _No."_

She watched the male Eliksni recoil from her words, his four eyes wide as he asked the question that Axtris knew was coming, _"Why?"_

" _I am still a young Eliksni,"_ Axtris immediately responded, noting the bewildered look in Anikis' four eyes, " _I have plenty of years left in me to venture around unknown lands and discover artifacts for both the Soldiers of Light and our fellow Eliksni before I am ready to settle down with a mate."_ She then shook her head as she added, _"Truthfully, I had not planned to have a mate at all, not until both you and Inkolas challenged each other for the right to be mine."_ Heaving out a sigh, the female Vandal then crossed her upper arms, " _And even more honestly so, I hold no feelings towards you or Inkolas. Perhaps as companions but never as a mate."_

No sooner had the words left her lips when Axtris noticed how Anikis' eyes fell, his shoulders slumping as he let out a small rumble. Of disappointment or anger, Axtris is unsure but she couldn't stop the sense of unease settle in the back of her mind, especially when she noticed the way Anikis' four eyes narrowed in her direction.

" _Is it because of Pure One?"_

A snarl escaped from Axtris' lips before she could stop herself. The female Vandal had heard the whispers, her keen ears catching the mutters and rumbles of her kind whenever she passes by. There were claims that she holds feelings for the human Guardian, from the way she always jumps at the chance to see him again or how her eyes brighten whenever he visits. However, her feelings for him are platonic; a littermate; nothing more and nothing less.

" _It has nothing to do with him,"_ She snarled out, taking several threatening steps closer to the male Vandal; she watched Anikis take several cautious steps back, _"Is it because you want me that badly, Scout Anikis of House of Spirits? That you want a reason why I rejected your advances? Is 'no' not enough of an answer for you?"_ Axtris let out another growl as she added, _"We live in a different time now, Anikis. Females are no longer just needed for breeding. We are just as powerful as you males and we are your equals. We 'do not' need a mate to show this."_

The female Vandal couldn't help but let rage overtake her mind; she had heard stories from Vellak, the one who had lived for 'years' between the three of them, of how females were scarce to the point where it was 'required' for them to find a mate to ensure the survivability of their species. They do not have a choice, no matter their rank, and some males take advantage of this, forcing themselves onto the females to ensure their bloodlines continue. Although Vellak claims that respect for the female Eliksni have grown through the years and that such tradition had died long ago, Axtris still can sense the glances of the males looking over her, eyeing her as if she was a trophy ripe for the taking. Seeing the look of obsession in Anikis' gaze and the way he refuses to casually accept rejection, Axtris came to the conclusion that he was no different from the other males. Inkolas at least had the decency to respect her space even with his right to be her 'mate'.

" _Leave. Scout Anikis of House of Spirits."_ Axtris snarled out, her hands lowering to her shock blades around her waist.

Hearing Anikis snarl back, Axtris stood her ground, lifting the handle of her blades as she let out a growl. This was enough to make the Scout Vandal take several more steps back.

" _What can I do the change your mind?"_

Axtris huffed at his words, " _You still do not understand? I do 'not' want to be your mate, no matter the consequence."_

That's when the room went silent, letting the quiet screeches of Tenshi echo through the silence. Shifting nervously on the back of her feet, Axtris let out a rumble, her four eyes narrowing at the male Vandal in an attempt to make him leave.

" _I understand,"_ Axtris couldn't help but reel back at the male Vandal's words, " _You need time and I will give it to you."_ The Scout then bowed before backing his way out of the room, causing Axtris to wait until he was completely out of sight.

The female Vandal stood there, letting out a small rumble as she contemplated the situation. At first, Axtris had welcomed the silence, especially since Tenshi had quieted down, proven when she turned and saw him suckling on the pieces of cloth wrapped around him. However, Axtris couldn't help but feel Anikis was planning something, especially the way she saw his eyes harden before he left the Incubation Chamber. But what she cannot fathom however, for now, she will the enjoy the peace, specifically for Tenshi when the latter out a few small chirps in an attempt to gain attention.

" _Males are strange,"_ Axtris chirped back as she placed a hand on the glass, watching the small Eliksni let out several more chirps of his own, " _Do not be like them when you are of age, Tenshi. You will not attract females that way."_

Tenshi let out a high-pitched squeal in response.

Xxxxx

"So is this the path that took you to the 'artifact'?"

"This is the path where I got lost and the 'artifact' helped me."

"Soooo you have no idea where it is?"

"Kind of? Sort of? We have to get lost first to figure that out."

"Wait what?"

"Can the two of you stop talking? I am already frightened at the thought of bumping into Vex. Knowing that we could be lost and then bump into Vex is not helping my nerves."

Ianos couldn't help but snort in the back, hearing the younger Guardians in front of him quietly chat amongst themselves as Esther leaned in and playfully tapped the younger Exo Warlock on the shoulder, followed by Carina jumping in and wrapping her arms around her fellow Exo's shoulders, much to Spirit's protest. Hearing Angel laugh quietly behind the trio, Ianos jumped when Aleeza suddenly appeared next to his side, watching the latter turn and fixate her gaze at him; the Warlock couldn't help but feel like she was smiling at him behind her visor.

"Don't you miss those days?" Aleeza stated, earning a raised brow from the male Awoken, "Back when we were young, still innocent and naïve of the Darkness around us." Ianos heard her heave out a sigh, "The good old days."

Momentarily silent, Ianos fixated his gaze back onto the younger Guardians, watching them playfully start pushing each other in an attempt to knock the other off their feet, "Wish I could have experienced that."

Ianos easily sensed the bewildered gaze he earned from his fellow Warlock, "What do you mean? All Guardians held a sense of purity when they are first resurrected. I thought you experienced this as well."

"That's correct, the first part." Ianos stated, "However, that is the time of the 'Guardians'." The male Awoken focused his attention back to the female Awoken, "Didn't the others tell you that I was resurrected 'before' that time?"

The silence he gained from the female Guardian was enough to answer his question, "'Guardians' who were resurrected during the time of the Warlords, back during the time when they were called 'The Risen', they learned quickly that their power is not to be trifled with." He shook his head as he added, "There were too many of us that took advantage of the Light, corrupted by the power that we gained from it. And soon, they discovered they have the strength to take over and claim territories. It didn't take long for those with 'power' start picking off the 'weak' Risen. They do not want to give them time to enhance their abilities and have a possible rival in the future." Fixating his gaze back onto the younger Guardians, he watched Carina easily lift Angel, the hunter letting out a cry of surprise while as the other two laughed at the two Guardians antics, "I learned quickly to hide and to avoid others like me, even if they have shown me kindness."

"Even the Iron Lords?" No sooner had Aleeza's question left her lips, that Ianos let out a scoff.

"You couldn't trust anybody back then, even the 'Iron Pups'," Ianos can easily sense the wide-eyed stare he received from the female Awoken, "At first, they may seem to have good intentions, but in the end, they all had their own selfish desires. They were no different from the Warlords that they were fighting against."

Waiting for a retort, Ianos instead heard silence from the female Warlock, prompting the male Awoken to once again focus on the younger Guardians in front of the pair, watching as Carina waved her arms sporadically as she spoke.

"We managed to convince him to join a game of Rift with us, saying that he could just hold the spark and slam it into the opposing team's Rift without having to shoot anybody." Ianos couldn't help but flinch at the female Titan's story. He knows what she was talking about, "But we forgot to tell him what happens if the opposing team is 'around' the Rift when he slams the Spark in."

"Oh shit, that happened, didn't it?" It was Spirit who asked the question, followed by a sputter when Carina nodded her head, "Shit, what happened?"

That was when Ianos focused his attention back to their surroundings, eyeing the shadows of the halls that they were passing. The Awoken Warlock remembers the Crucible Match quite well; after all, it was his first time hearing about Rift, having long ago left the Crucible untouched after taking up his vow. At first, he was against it, but after hearing that he can just be the carrier of the Spark, he reluctantly agreed; it didn't help that Angel also brought up how excited he was to play a Crucible match as a team. Of course, during their excitement over Ianos joining in on a Crucible match, they had failed to mention the 'collateral' if any opposing team members were surrounding the Rift when one slams the Spark in. Long story short, Ianos – in Carina's words – freaked out. That's all the Awoken Warlock had to say.

Shaking off the death throes of the opposing team from the back of his mind, Ianos instead forced himself to scan their surroundings once more. They had entered one of the four buildings and are slowly making their way underground and the group had long ago passed a secured area, Esther having pulled out her Ghost to easily hack their way in. However, the deeper they went, the more of their light source diminished to the point where their small companions had to materialize out of the safety of their Guardian's armor and shine their light to ensure their safe expedition. Although they now have light, Ianos had long ago felt eyes on them and although he knows the human Hunter is young, the Awoken Warlock was surprised that the two Hunters sensed nothing awry. He just hopes that it is because of their antics together that they failed to sense their surroundings. Nonetheless, Ianos silently prays that nothing goes awry during their search for this supposed 'Warmind', or at least a sentient AI, from the small amount of information that Esther had given out back at the Tower.

"Should we camp for the night?" Ianos focused his attention onto Angel, the Hunter causing everyone to a come to a halt when he paused, "We have been walking for a while."

"I think we should continue," Ianos can easily sense the disappointment in the younger Hunter's gaze, "we're underground in unknown territory. Who knows? What if the Vex made an appearance here because they want the artifact themselves? They could be watching us even as we speak. Better to keep going and find the artifact as quickly as possible. We can't risk camping and getting ambushed."

"Oh come on, Ianos," The Awoken Warlock focused his attention onto the female Titan, "It shouldn't hurt just to rest for a few hours. Besides, if what Esther said is true about having to get lost first to find it, I highly doubt the Vex will find the artifact first."

Ianos heaved out a sigh, shaking his head as he added, "If you have forgotten, the Vex are a hive mind. They can easily send out hundreds in a labyrinth and find what they are looking for within a matter of hours, thanks to the fact that they are constantly sending information back and forth between each other. Possibly, right now, they could have found this 'artifact' already."

When silence permeated between the members of the team, Ianos took it as a sign to push his way through to the front, "If we want to beat the Vex to the artifact, if they hadn't already, then we have to move –"

Ianos found himself cut short as a bright flash blinked into his vision followed by the familiar sound of his shields shattering. Taking in a gasp, Ianos stumbled back, his weapon fumbling in his grasp before he felt a force hit him in the shoulder. Falling back onto the floor, pain soon followed the action, causing Ianos to clench his teeth and instinctively pressed his hand against his injury.

"Vex!"

No sooner had Angel announced the presence of the machine race that rapid fire echoed through the dark halls, the familiar ring of light empowered weaponry ringing through the air.

"Ianos." It was Ace, the familiar orange optic of the Ghost shining brightly in the dark, "Hold still."

Watching the streams of light pouring from the black and orange Ghost's optic, Ianos lowered his hand, letting the light stream into the seams of his armor. With Ace's light illuminating around his wound, it gave Ianos a better perspective of his injury. Like what the Awoken Warlock suspected, the Vex's fire easily sliced through his armor and embedded itself into his shoulder. Blood easily seeped through the gash, sliding down the front of his shoulder and down the front of his coat. Pain easily throbbed from the injury however as Ace continued to stream their light into his shoulder, the pain subsided, followed by mist of light emanating from the wound, signaling the healing process. Just as soon as the mists of light folded against itself and dissipated, Ianos instantly jumped onto his feet and aimed his pulse rifle at the familiar white cores glowing in the darkness.

The familiar sound of glass and metal crashing to the floor rang through the darkness as Ianos aimed his gun at another Vex and fired, causing it follow its previous comrade onto the floor.

"Nova Bomb ready!"

Hearing Aleeza call out her 'Super', Ianos immediately fell onto his knees, barely seeing the familiar violet orb of light streak above his head. The explosion that followed shook the floor, causing Ianos to stumble slightly as he pushed himself back up onto his feet.

"Spirit! Spirit! Spirit snap out of it!"

Turning his attention towards Esther, Ianos found himself narrowing his eyes however, the glare was not towards the female Hunter. The female Guardian was knelt next to the cowering form of Spirit, the blue and green clad Warlock having collapsed onto the floor, his shaking hands barely holding onto to his weapon.

"Spirit," He hissed out as he marched towards the frozen Exo, reaching down and locking his arm underneath the male Guardian's, "Get up and fight." Forcing the Exo Warlock onto his feet, Ianos almost found himself back on the floor as Spirit's legs collapsed underneath him, "Spirit."

"I-i-it's the Vex." The Exo stuttered out, "It-it's the Vex."

Heaving out a groan at the Exo Warlock's fear, Ianos released his grip, promptly letting the younger Guardian collapse back onto the floor; if he was just going to make himself an easy target, the Awoken Warlock might as well do the work for him. Firing his pulse rifle into the fray, Ianos let out a low growl; the Vex maybe easy to kill but the main reason why many Guardians fall to the walking machines was because of their numerous foot soldiers. Even the simple Goblins can take out the most experienced Guardians if they can maintain the pressure. And now, that's exactly what the team was going through.

Every time they kill a Vex Goblin, three more takes its place, teleporting every few seconds and closing the distance between them and the team of Guardians. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Ianos heard the familiar click of his weapon's clip being empty. However, instead of moving to reload he instead sheathed the pulse rifle on his back and removed his sidearm from his waist, firing rapidly at the enclosing Vex.

"Arc Blade!"

The two Hunters simultaneously called out the attack, their familiar blue forms zipping through the Vex, their arc blades easily slicing through their copper armor and making them disappear in a flash of blue. As the two Hunters zipped around the hall, taking out any Vex that were in range, Ianos took the opportunity to pick up the misty remnants of their light, feeling his own rejuvenate and gain strength in response. No sooner had the Hunter's Arc Blade dissipate, that Ianos took a step forward.

"Stay back," He warned, as arc light flashed around his arms.

No sooner had the words his lips when he leaped forward and arc light surged throughout his body, letting sparks of lightning scorch the floor and walls around him. Then without another word, the Awoken Warlock shot out his hands, arc light flowing through his fingers and lashing out onto nearby Vex, turning the copper clad machines into nothing more than sparks of light. Feeling his feet leave the floor, Ianos ignored the sensation of hovering and instead willed himself forward, keeping his hands out to let arc light surge through his fingers. Any Vex that ventured too close were immediately engulfed by the light, letting Ianos clear the hall. However, the longer Ianos let arc light surge throughout his body, the more he can feel his body scream in protest, his nerves straining to keep his body together. Clenching his jaw, Ianos forced his body forward, letting the surge of light engulf nearby Vex before finally, his body had enough and his light immediately distinguished itself. Feeling his feet land back onto solid ground, Ianos felt his legs collapse underneath him, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Ianos!"

Hearing Ace call his name, Ianos took in a sharp breath before attempting to push himself back onto his feet, only collapse back onto the floor as the familiar buzzing sound of his Ghost hovered next to his ears.

"Are you crazy?!" Ace shouted, "You haven't mastered arc light yet! That could have killed you!"

Letting the words of his Ghost sink into the back of his mind, Ianos lifted his gaze off the floor and glanced around, only to let out a short and dry laugh, "It got rid of the Vex, right?"

Sensing the glare from Ace's optic, Ianos couldn't help but let an amused smile graze his lips as he heard the black and orange Ghost scold him, letting the words fade in his ears. Feeling his lids go heavy, Ianos heaved out a sigh, hearing his Ghost pause at this action before falling onto his side. Ace's shout of surprise distorted in his ears, Ianos instead opted to close his eyes, letting exhaustion overtake him.

* * *

 _Yes, there was an event where Ianos participated in a Rift game and yes, it went as badly as it sounded in this story lol. I actually planned to write out the Rift Game (which is based off a real event in the game I experienced) but I'm not sure if I have the time to do so. I might just do a short one shot instead of incorporating it as a special in here lol._

 _And yes, Ianos also momentarily met the Iron Lords and from what you can tell, yeah, he doesn't really think highly of them. You'll see why in later chapters :D_

 _Yes, there is a baby Eliksni in this story. And yes, his name is Tenshi... I couldn't think up of another name lol._


	45. Special: The Dawning

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Dawning Special**_

 _Here's the Dawning Special I promised! And on Christmas Day too lol  
_

* * *

"The snow isn't slowing down."

Ianos' orange hues glanced towards the window as he witnessed the fiery inferno of white swirl around his window, the winds howling as if in a vain attempt to enter his quarters, "I guess that means the Vanguard isn't going to lift the lockdown of the Hangar anytime soon."

"Seems like it."

Ianos sighed as he placed his pen on his desk, hearing Ace hover over his shoulders as he turned his gaze towards his bed. Normally well kempt and unused, the bed currently held an occupant, his body curled tightly in the covers with his steady breathing a sign of his slumber. It was Zakai, the 'human' Warlock have unfortunately returned from a solo mission during the storm, returning to their quarters soaking wet from the snow. After Ianos had a good laugh from his fellow Warlock's misfortune, he gave him a change of clothes – a simple black sweats and short sleeved shirt – and let him rest on his bed while they waited for Ari. At least, that was the plan.

"I guess the plan to release the lanterns tonight isn't going to happen," Ace stated, causing Ianos to heave out another sigh, "With this storm, it's going to be impossible to even set up the lanterns, let alone lighting it up. The only thing we can do is pray that Ari will be able to make it back from Mars safely through this storm."

Almost as if on cue, the entrance to their quarters slid open, revealing the white clad Exo walking in, brushing snow off his shoulders.

"You know, I usually don't mind the snow," Ari stated as he reached up and removed his helmet, the familiar black form of his Ghost materializing over his shoulders moments later, "But right now, I despise it with every single light of my being."

Ianos couldn't help but snort at the Exo Warlock's words, "Well, you're better off than Zakai. He had to walk back to the City since his ship got shot down by the Scavengers."

That's when Ari dropped his helmet, his pale blue optics wide as he slowly turned his attention towards Ianos. Almost as if reading his thoughts, Ianos let a broad smile spread onto his lips just as soon as the white Exo let out a boisterous laugh, leaning back before leaning forward and placing his hands onto his knees.

"He what?!" Ari guffawed as he stumbled over to Ianos, placing his hands onto the Warlock's shoulders as if to give himself support, "How did Fallen shoot down his ship? And how in the Darkness did he make it back through this blizzard?"

"He admitted that he got a bit cocky when maneuvering through the storm to avoid a skiff." Ianos couldn't help but smile at the Exo Warlock's snickers as the latter released his grip, took several steps back, and crossed his arms, "And how he made it through the storm? Well, in his words, 'Stormtrance is like a walking campfire'."

Ari blinked, "Wait, how did that keep him warm?"

Ianos shrugged in response to the Exo Warlock's question, "From what I can get from Zakai before he went to sleep was that in Stormtrance, the constant movement of arc light surging through your body can also be used against 'each other', the Light emits heat when they collide."

Ari blinked again, "What? According to the basic knowledge of Light that we 'do' know is that if Light collides against each other, there will be a much bigger reaction than a 'portable' campfire."

"For Guardians resurrected under 'normal' circumstances," Ianos snorted at the blank look he received from the white Exo, "You know as well as I do that Zakai is 'special' compared to other Guardians. He can utilize his light differently than others."

"Arc light you mean," Ari let out a huff as he crossed his arms and childishly kicked the air, "Why can't he teach me Arc Light?"

"Because you're young and you haven't even taken the trial yet to attune to it."

The two Warlock's turned their gaze towards the bed, just in time to witness Zakai stretch his arms above his head as the familiar vermillion shell of his Ghost popped out underneath the pillows.

"You're awake!" Ari chirped, earning a groan from the 'human' Warlock, causing the Exo Warlock to blink, "What's wrong?"

"Let's just say that when he came back soaking wet, he raided the ice chest."

"And I drank 'most' of it," Zakai added as he rubbed his temples, "There's still some left for you and Ianos."

"I was going to say," Ari snorted before he turned his icy blue optics towards Ianos, "Do you mind?"

Ianos rolled his eyes in return, "You know as well as I do that 'pitiful' amount of drinks in that ice box isn't going to even faze me." He waved one of his hands towards Ari, "You can have the rest of it, I will restock once the storm calms."

Almost immediately, Ari clapped his hands together in glee before blinking towards the kitchen, leaving behind wisps of violet light, "And what did I say about using our light in our apartment?"

"Forgot momentarily," The white clad Exo walked in with several bottles in his arms, his optics beaming as he dunked the drinks onto a nearby table before picking one up and prying the cap off with ease. Then without hesitation, he leaned his head back and tipped the bottle to his lips, quickly guzzling down the contents as the other two Warlocks looked on.

"Even though you explained it to me several times before, I am still amazed that you Exo are able to digest food and drink," Zakai muttered out as Ari slammed the now empty bottle onto the table before the Exo swiftly picked up another, "Let alone alcoholic beverages."

Ari turned his attention towards Zakai after finishing his second bottle, "Well, they did say Exo were created in human kinds image. I guess that also adds in their diet as well." The white clad Exo then picked up another bottle before offering it towards Ianos, "You sure you do not want one?"

"It's all yours," Ianos gestured with one of his hands, earning a shrug from the male Exo who once again downed the drink, "Although, I am not sure getting drunk is on our list of celebrating the Dawning."

"Well what else can we do?" Zakai nodded his head to the white inferno outside of the window, "We can't exactly light the lanterns like we usually do."

"Oh! I know!" The two Warlocks turned their attention to Ari, only to see the white clad Exo dash towards the Kitchen once more. However, instead of immediately returning, Ianos and Zakai instead heard cups clinking and the sound of liquid being poured into the containers, causing the pair to turn their eyes towards each other warily. Moments later, Ari returned, three cups in hand, his optics beaming brightly as ever as he waltzed over to Zakai and handed the 'human' Warlock one of the cups before rushing over and doing the same to Ianos.

Eyeing the cup warily, Ianos can easily see steam emit from the container before Ari ushered it closer to the Awoken Warlock's chest, causing the latter to reluctantly take the cup from the Exo's hand.

"Drink up!" Ari chirped as he took a seat at the table, Ianos watching the white clad Exo take a sip from the steaming beverage.

Eyeing the Exo suspiciously, Ianos took the opportunity to glance into the cup. Immediately brown entered his vision and he could feel heat emit from the liquid as the familiar scent of sugar reached his nostrils. Fixating his gaze back onto Ari with a raised brow, all Ianos received was a wide grin from the white clad Exo. Then almost immediately, sputtering could be heard from the bed, causing the Awoken Warlock to snap his attention towards Zakai.

"You didn't tell me it was hot," The 'human' Warlock deadpanned as laughter echoed through the air, his vibrant blue hues glaring at the laughing Exo, "You did that on purpose."

"You have to blow on it first," Ari held up his cup grinning before bringing it close to his lips and giving it a gentle blow, "And common sense, if it has steam coming from it, it's going to be hot."

Ianos couldn't help but let out a snort at Zakai's grumbling before the latter leaned in towards his cup and gentle blew on the beverage. Then before long, Ianos watched the 'human' Warlock take a sip. Immediately, Zakai's vibrant blue eyes widen before he tipped the cup away from his lips, "Ari, where did you get this?"

Intrigued by Zakai's expression, Ianos blew on his beverage before taking a sip out of the cup. Almost immediately, sweetness entered his taste buds followed by a warmth sliding down the back of his throat. It was both pleasant and delicious and Ianos couldn't help but tip the cup even further to get more of the hot beverage in. However, no sooner had he done this when heat immediately hit his tongue, causing the Warlock to snap the cup away from his lips and sputter, relieving his tongue of the heat.

Not long after, Ari let out another laugh, "It's called 'Hot Chocolate' or 'Hot Coco' for short."

"Well, they got the hot part right," Ianos muttered, earning another chuckle from the Exo, "Where in the Darkness did you get this?"

"From the Market," Ari shrugged at the blank looks he received from the others, "Look, I was just wandering around the Market and when I saw it, I just had the urge to buy it. Apparently, it was hard to come by since it took almost all my glimmer just to buy a small box of it."

"Or either that, you got ripped off."

Ari smiled sheepishly at Zakai's comment, "Either way, I think it was worth it." He raised his cup towards the others, "Got to spend some time and share it with the two of you."

That's when the room went silent, both Ianos and Zakai watching Ari take another sip from his cup before he added, "You know, the Dawning is one of the few months where the three of us can simply relax. No fighting. No Darkness. No Light. Just. The three of us." The Exo leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of his drink, "It may be unfortunate that we aren't able to light the Lanterns today because of the Storm but we still have the rest of the month to celebrate." He turned and grinned at the other two Warlocks, "So how about we make the best of it?"

"How so?" It was Zakai who broke the silence between him and Ianos, "There's not much to do in the Dawning besides lighting lanterns and simply taking a break from the battlefield."

"Then we'll just think of something," Ari retorted before he let out a small hum, "How about Sparrow Racing?"

"That's what the Sparrow Racing League is for."

"Oh, yeah, right," The Exo hummed at Zakai's retort, tilting his head thoughtfully as he slowly twirled the cup he held in his hands. Then almost just as instantly, he perked up in his seat, instantly catching the attention of the other two Warlocks, "Oh! I know! How about a picnic out in the Cosmodrome?"

"In the snow?" Ianos asked, earning a nod from the Exo Warlock, "How are we supposed to have a picnic when there's snow around?"

"I have a solution," Ari puffed out his chest as both Zakai and Ianos gave him a bewildered look, "I have been looking at those 'gates' that they use in the Sparrow Racing League. Been thinking about taking a couple of them from the Hangar and tinker with them to see if I can make a barrier powered by light."

Zakai raised a brow at Ari's intention, "You do know that is going to take a lot longer than a month to turn racing gates into a barrier."

"Which is why I am going to finish it within the year and we'll do it next Dawning," Ari chirped, earning a blink from the other two Warlocks, "That way, we can head to the Cosmodrome and enjoy a picnic safe from both the elements and the Scavengers."

"The Cosmodrome 'is' beautiful at this time of year," Ianos commented thoughtfully, "It would be nice to sit down and enjoy a meal while taking in the scenery."

"No fighting. No enemies. Just. The three of us," Zakai added, humming thoughtfully to himself before stating, "Do you think the process would speed up if the three of us work on it together?"

Ari let out a snort, "What do you think? Whenever the three of us work on a project, we get it done."

Ianos let out a laugh, "Who knows? We might be able to get it done before this year's Dawning ends."

"So it's settled then!" Ari slammed his cup onto the table, its contents sloshing off the sides, "Let me grab the gates from the Hangar and we'll get started."

"Wait, don't we need Holliday's permission to take those?"

"Nah, she won't miss a gate or two…or maybe a dozen."

"Ahamri-34…"

"I was joking!... Mostly."

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

"So why are we in the Cosmodrome again?"

"To enjoy a picnic and to enjoy the scenery."

"In this snow?"

"Don't worry, there's a solution."

Hearing Carina grumble under her breath, Pluto couldn't help but let out a snort as he eased his Sparrow to the left, twisting around a hill as the others followed closely behind. The Dawning had started just a couple of weeks ago, however, the team had just assembled to enjoy their time together as a Fireteam. The reason it took so long for the team to get together was that they were also enjoying the holiday with others; Akiva with Neve, Angel with House Spirits, and Carina and Aleeza simply enjoying each other's company. For Pluto, he had simply sat out in the Plaza with a drink in hand and two cups, pouring one for himself and the other for Neptune, setting the filled drink aside as if the late Exo Warlock could walk over and enjoy the drink with him.

But with one week of Dawning left, the others had decided to get together, at least once, to celebrate as a team. As such, a plan was sorted out to have a picnic out in the Cosmodrome, the area only accessible with Sparrows.

"Where's Ianos by the way?" It was Angel who asked the question, his voice echoing through the coms, "When you said that we were going to celebrate the Dawning as a team, I thought that meant everyone."

"He's already at the location," Pluto responded, "He's just setting up."

Almost immediately, a snort echoed through the coms. "Setting up?" It was Carina, "I never knew Ianos as the type to celebrate the Dawning."

"You'd be surprise what other Holidays he celebrates," The Exo Hunter couldn't help but imagine the shocked looks on the two younger Guardians, "The Dawning however, is a Holiday that he tries to celebrate every year, despite any circumstance."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Angel," It was Akiva's voice who echoed through the coms, "There are questions that can be asked and questions that shouldn't even be mentioned. 'Especially' a personal question."

"What?"

"It's alright, Akiva," Pluto stated, following Nix's scans as he added, "Angel didn't know and I highly doubt he meant any harm in asking. Correct?"

"Y-yeah."

"Nonetheless, the question is personal," Pluto lifted his head as Nix's scans spotted a raised hillside, the black and white scans showing a cloak figure walking about on top, "If you want to know the answer, you have to ask Ianos yourself."

"You two and keeping secrets to yourselves," Aleeza's voice chirped through the coms, "When will you tell us anything?"

"When Ianos deems himself ready to answer questions," Pluto responded as he slowed down his Sparrow, just stopping short at the bottom of the hill before jumping off and his Sparrow materialized into his Vault.

Hearing the other's Sparrows come to a halt behind him, Pluto took it as a sign to slowly trudge up the snow, his feet sinking into the white material as he slowly made his way to the top. As he came to a pause at the top of the hill, Nix's scans showed Ianos, the Awoken Warlock walking around and planting what seems to be rods around the top, the latter of which reaches his waist as he walked around.

"Almost done?" Pluto sensed Ianos' gaze on him, "The others are here. We even brought the Lanterns that you asked for."

"Not quite," Through Nix's scans, Pluto watched Ianos kneel down, wrapped his hand around one of the rods, and wisps of light emitted from his grip. Then almost immediately, streams of light burst from the sides and connected itself to the other rods around the hill, creating a makeshift fence before rising and lifting above the heads of the Guardians. Letting his jaw drop, Pluto barely saw Ianos stand up and state, "There, now we should be safe from the elements plus anyone who wishes to interrupt our little 'picnic'."

Pluto heard a whistle echo from behind, "Wow, you really outdone yourself kid. You even cleared the snow from the top for us."

"Can't exactly enjoy a meal if you're cold and shivering sitting in the snow."

"Good point," Hearing Akiva laugh, Nix's scans showed the Titan hold out his hand to summon Lex, the latter of which promptly materialized containers that the blind Hunter believes to contain their meal and drinks, "So, shall we?"

Setting up the picnic was quick; blankets spread out and their food easily spread out on silverware and plates brought by Aleeza (the latter of which jokingly stated that Akiva 'always' forgets the utensils during such occasions, even before their resurrection.), enabling the team to sit down and enjoy their time together. Being Guardians and bottomless pits, Fireteam Redacted easily finished their meals before moving onto the real reason for the picnic: the drinks. Although every Guardian can hold their liquor better than the 'civilians', each individual still holds a different tolerance to the alcoholic beverages. As such, no sooner had the drinks had been brought out, Ianos found himself and Pluto the only ones at least, partly sober, the others having long ago fallen into a drunken state.

"You know, no matter how many times you beat him at the drinking game," Pluto stated as he watched Akiva snoring away on a blanket nearby, taking a sip not long after; the Exo Hunter had removed his blindfold to properly enjoy the event, his red optics revealing amusement as he then watched Carina and Aleeza giggling as they poked and prodded the clonked out human Hunter, "I don't think Akiva will stop challenging you at least, not until he beats you."

"That will be the day when the Darkness takes me," Ianos simply stated as he took sips from his bottle before lowering his drink and shifting his helmet back over his jaws, taking in deep breaths before lifting it up and taking in more of the beverage, "and even then, I don't think I will even be buzzed by the time he gets drunk."

Laughing at the Awoken Warlock's words, Pluto took the opportunity to down more of his bottle before lowering his drink, "I guess that goes our plan to release the Lanterns."

A simple snort emitted from Ianos before Pluto saw from the corner of his eye the male Guardian pushing himself onto his feet and the familiar sound of an object materializing into the air then buzzed into the Exo Hunter's audio receptors. Curious on what Ianos is taking out of his Vault, Pluto lifted his gaze and almost instantly, he chuckled. In the Awoken Warlock's hands, were two yellow orbs, both glowing dimly in Ianos' grip before the latter held one out to the dark clad Hunter.

"You saw this coming, didn't you?" Pluto stated as he stood up and accepted the Lantern, earning a single nod from the Awoken Warlock, "Then again, this always have been your favorite part of the Dawning."

"Have to do it at least once before it's over," Ianos simply stated as he grasped his Lantern with both hands before lifting his gaze upwards, his visor completely hiding his expression as a sigh escaped his lips.

Although having started their picnic early in the afternoon, it was now dark, the Cosmodrome being lit up by the numerous stars twinkling in the sky. Others would have immediately returned home to escape the cold or to escape the unwanted stares by the Fallen but to Ianos, this was perfect. The night sky enabled the Lanterns to be seen easily against the blanket of stars and although he would have preferred the others of Fireteam Redacted to join in, releasing a Lantern alone with Pluto was enough. As such, without another word, Ianos lifted his Lantern and delicately released it, watching it slowly ascend to the sky. Not long after, Pluto's Lantern entered Ianos' vision and the Warlock stood there with his arms clasped behind his back, taking in the sight of the two bright yellow orbs slowly billowing into the sky.

"You still miss them, don't you?"

Ianos couldn't help but snicker at Pluto's words, "You think? You're still mourning over Neptune, right?"

"That is because he had passed recently," Ianos paused at Pluto's words, "But you, you have been mourning them for 'years'. Why else would you still be insistent on releasing the Lanterns every year? I remember this one year where a rogue Guardian tried to assassinate the Speaker and eluded capture. So the Consensus ordered the Tower to go on lockdown during the Dawning but that didn't stop you from sneaking out and releasing Lanterns into the sky."

"Much to the Consensus' fury," Ianos let out another snicker at the memory. Pluto just heaved out a sigh, "Just be honest with me, Ianos. You still haven't passed on from their deaths, haven't you? Despite your claims?"

Momentarily silent, Ianos nodded once, half expecting another sigh and a talk to happen between him and the Exo Hunter. However, to his surprise, the silence remained, enabling Ianos to continue to watch the two Lanterns glide away into the night.

"Happy Dawning."

The simple greeting can hardly be heard being uttered by Ianos but Pluto easily caught it thanks to his years as a Hunter and his keen hearing. And he knows that that the greeting was not meant for him.

* * *

 _More hints to Ianos' past before forming Fireteam Redacted and a small hangout with the team :D_

 _Not very good in my opinion but I did what I could. Anyway, expect a chapter this Wednesday C:_


	46. Exposed

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Exposed_**

 _Figured out a way to better manage my time writing so hopefully no more procrastination lol.  
_

 _Thanks to Lazypersons for their review!_

* * *

Ace has scars.

It was the first thing Spirit noticed when he watched the black and orange Ghost scan Ianos for any injuries. After the Awoken Warlock collapsed from Light exhaustion, the group had dragged him to safety with nothing but the light of their Ghosts to lead the way. After a few minutes of twisting and winding around the corridors, they had taken refuge in what seemed to be a library, the broken shelves and scattered papers the only clue of its existence. No sooner had they laid Ianos down on the floor behind some broken shelves for cover, Ace had glided over and started checking for any injuries, which had lead Spirit to his discovery about the Ghost just now.

In honesty, the scars were hardly noticeable, the dings, dents, and scratches having been painstakingly sanded down, cleaned, and painted over in an attempt to hide them. With little to no medical attention for Ghosts, Spirit can only guess that Ianos himself had attempted to fix the damage on Ace's shell.

"When did you get those scars?" Spirit found himself asking and almost immediately, the Exo Warlock paused, his green optics wide as he shifted himself from his seating position, placing some distance between himself the black and orange AI.

However, instead of the Ghost getting angry at his question, Ace instead sighed, "You're lucky that we're the only three here, otherwise, I would have snapped at you for asking that."

Spirit blinked at the Ghost's reaction. After having settled down in the Library, the others decided to scout around for any Vex that had escaped the onslaught of 'Supers', and had designated Spirit to be the lookout for the unconscious Guardian and Ace, mainly for the reason of his reaction towards the Vex earlier.

The Exo Warlock couldn't help but flinch at the thought. He could hear the gunfire and his friends yelling at him to get up and fight however, he felt his fear build up in his chest and his joints locking up at the sight of the copper machines. And after it was over, Spirit was overcome with guilt. His team had been in danger and here he was, cowering at the sight of the Vex. Thanks to his incompetence, Ianos had to resort using light he was unaccustomed to and now had made himself vulnerable and his team less organized. Spirit couldn't help but feel like it was his fault for the team's delay.

"You still curious on how I got these scars?" Ace's voice startled the younger Guardian, the latter actually jumping in his seat before quickly nodding.

The black and orange Ghost still sending out their scans around Ianos, Ace then started, "Most of these 'scratches' come from my years of keeping an eye out on Ianos back when he was a newborn. You would be surprised how many Warlords were around back then, despite the workings of the 'Iron pups'."

Spirit couldn't help but flinch at the insult towards the Iron Lords but if Ace had noticed or not, they showed no sign of it as they continued, "However, the bigger 'scars' came from that infamous mission that Ianos had returned from that earned him the nickname, 'The Black Death'."

Shock then spread throughout Spirit's systems, recalling the rumors and whispers of betrayal and murder echo in his memory, "You mean the one that he came from before murdering the Guardian out in the Plaza?"

"It was not murder! It was- "

Spirit reeled back as the Ghost stopped themselves, watching as their shell shook from rage before they heaved out a sigh, "It was not murder, it was…" Another sigh, "It was for revenge."

"Revenge?" Spirit repeated, hearing the Ghost go silent before Ace replied, "You don't' know the whole story." The Ghost hesitated, "'I' don't know the whole story."

The Exo Warlock blinked, "What? But I thought –"

"That's one of the reasons why I can't tell anyone what happened," Ace interrupted, "Because I don't even know what happened myself. At least not everything."

Spirit watched as Ace's light died from their optic, their back fins twirling slowly once as they started, "Ianos had just lost two people who was the world to him. And he had lost the will to go on. So did I."

Green optics wide, Spirit remembered reading in the archives of events where both Guardians and Ghosts both came to an agreement, where the two would go off on one last mission together where it would have taken both of their lives. An attempt to take as much of the Darkness with them before they fall.

"So that 'recon' mission on the moon...?"

"It was just supposed to be the two of us," Ace finished, earning another wide-eyed look from the Exo Warlock, "But that was before the 'Last Will' was put into the norm." Spirit heard the Ghost let out a bitter snort, "Back then, every Guardian's life was seen as 'irreplaceable', that they should continue as 'Soldiers of Light' even unwilling. So, they set us up with a team of five others to go with us. Fireteam Reprieve. Consisting of their leader Titan Copper-29, and then Warlock Amele, Titan Rytark, Hunter Darian, and…. the traitor."

"The what?"

That's when Spirit saw Ace turn their orange optic towards the Exo Warlock, "His name was Hunter Wesley, but after what he did, I prefer his name forgotten."

"What did he do?" Spirit leaned in. He knows he's pushing his limits on prying but now he was curious. How often does he get a piece of history based on 'The Black Death', things that not even his own team knows?

Almost immediately, Ace let out a stiff snort, "We were searching near the edge of the Hellmouth when the Hive came out of nowhere. We were nearly overwhelmed but we were able to push them back. But as soon as we did, the Traitor was pushed off the edge by a wounded Acolyte and everyone voted to jump into the Catacombs to find him."

"It wasn't easy. The Hive were on our tail as soon as we entered but we pressed on. But the deeper we went, the more Hive we encountered and more complex puzzles we had to solve. Amele was the first to go, she gave up her life to ensure that we made it through one of the doors and closed it behind her so the Hive couldn't reach us. Then Rytark was next, he shoved Ianos and the others down into one of the holes to keep several Ogres at bay. Finally, Copper was the last, pushing us out of the way of falling rocks."

Spirit heard Ace let out a sniff, "We were helpless, watching him being buried alive, Ianos, Darian, his Ghost Hopper, and I. But what else can we do but continue on for our search for the Traitor? And we found him, cowering in a corner like the coward he was. Then the hard part came."

The Exo Warlock blinked, "What was that?"

Ace's optic shifted, their core narrowing, "Escape. Despite what others say, getting in was the easy part but the Hive always ensure their 'prey' gets lost in the Catacombs, giving them ample time to track us down. We barely made it to the exit but the Hive were close behind. Ianos had told the Traitor to run to the exit while we gave cover fire. But as soon as Ianos told Darian to run towards the exit, the Traitor had turned on us. He had believed that even if all three of us made it out, the Hive would still chase us and that would be the death of us all. So, he had placed a grenade on the doors, and let it detonate."

"He didn't." Spirit managed to breath out, only to see the black and orange Ghost bob once, "The door crumbled in front of us and the initial explosion caused the Catacombs to collapse around us. The last thing I saw was a large chunk of rock falling towards me and then, darkness."

The Exo Warlock's optics went wide, "You were knocked out?"

"And never woke up," Ace added in, earning another gawking look from the male Warlock, "At least, for a while. A few months, I figured out later." Spirit watched as the Ghost turned their tail fins towards him, watching as their optic turned to the prone form of their Guardian, "The next thing I remember was waking to Ianos pleading with me to wake up, tears in his eyes as he cowered in an abandoned ship." Spirit watched Ace shake their core side to side, "You should have seen him. I've never seen so much fear in his eyes, even back when he was a newborn living in a world where 'Guardians' were still amongst the unknown. His armor barely in working order and the Darkness infecting his Light was stronger than ever. He was in so much pain that he could hardly stand and his condition…" Spirit heard Ace's voice crack, watching their form shake as they continued, "I didn't know what happened during my time when I was unconscious but considering the wounds on his body and from what I can remember beforehand, it was obvious he was held captive by the Hive."

At first bewildered by the Ghost's words, Spirit opened his mouth to ask what he meant until it suddenly clicked. He had read that the Hive feed off of pain and light of others and what's better than two Guardians trapped underneath the Catacombs? Spirit couldn't help but gulp at the thought. Ianos had been trapped there for months from what the Exo Warlock can piece together. It's a wonder how the Veteran Guardian have kept it together for this long.

"Our ship had been destroyed. We both came to conclusion that the Traitor had done it to hide any evidence," Spirit tore away from his thoughts to tune onto the black and orange Ghost, "When we were searching around for other mode of transport, it was then I realized that Darian was absent." The Exo Warlock felt his chest tighten as it dawned upon him, "When I asked Ianos where he was, he simply broke down. But it was all the answer I needed to know what happened to the Hunter." A weary sigh escaped the Ghost, "We managed to find a somewhat functioning Golden Age ship and we made it back to the Tower. As soon as we transmatted into the Plaza, that's when he saw 'him'."

Sensing the hate and disgust in the Ghost's voice, Spirit didn't have to ask who they were talking about, "He was just there. Talking to two others of our brothers and sisters, laughing away as if he had done nothing wrong. As if he had not left behind two of his own behind to save his own life. That is when I sensed the rage emit from Ianos and he signaled to me to transmat his hand cannon into his hands. And I complied."

Silence then filled the room, prompting Spirit to shift nervously in his seat as he fidgeted with his weapon in his hands. Moments later, the black and orange Ghost continued, "He made it quick. Immediately shooting the Traitor in the head before turning his weapon towards his Ghost. Not long after killing both Guardian and Ghost, he then turned his weapon on himself." A dark chuckle then emitted from Ace, "I had wanted him to kill the Traitor, for making him go through that ordeal and causing the death of the rest of his team. But I hadn't anticipated Ianos turning his weapon on himself and ending his own life. I immediately tried to revive him but I was stopped by other Guardians who had been present during the execution." A snicker then escaped the Ghost, "They had tried to question me but I kept silent, so they demanded me to revive Ianos. Only if things had gone according to plan." Ace then took in a deep breath, "The instant I revived him, he was fanatical. He screamed for them to 'let him sleep' and the pain of the Darkness eating away at him was too much. Matt and the others had to put him down to ensure that only to keep others safe, but to make sure he does himself no harm."

"He went into the psyche Ward of the Medical Wing and he was evaluated that he was not fit for the field neither is he fit to be released. It took years of convincing and work but finally, Ianos was able to recover enough to stand on his own two feet with the help of the gear you see on him now. And that is when he was bombarded with questions, many asking why he had killed the Traitor out in the open. However, despite what he had done, Ianos refused to answer, mainly for the reason that he did not want to relive the memory, and he ordered me to do the same. This caused rumors to circulate that Ianos not only killed the Traitor, but he also caused the death of Fireteam Reprieve. With his record of Fireteam deaths already shadowing him, it didn't take long for his title of 'Death' changed to 'The Black Death' when it has been discovered the Darkness laying inside of him had strengthen. Despite this, Ianos refuses to let anyone know what happened."

"But why?" Spirit found himself asking, "If you tell everyone the truth, then all this 'Death' talk will dissipate."

"Because of me," The Exo Warlock couldn't help but reel back at Ace's answer, "Since I wasn't conscious for most of the ordeal and that my focus was mainly on Ianos and the others and not the Traitor, there is no substantial evidence to back up our claim." Spirit watched the black and orange Ghost's shell droop, "All there is Ianos' words and despite the doubts, the only reason the Consensus let him walk away was that it is 'he said she said'. There is no evidence to back up any claims for either side."

"But everyone believes he is a murderer," Spirit stated, "Why won't he say anything and clear his name? Or at least tell his side of what had occurred."

"Everyone believed the Traitor's story by the time we returned to the Tower," Ace retorted, "No one will believe us, even if we said something, not unless we have fixed evidence."

Spirit couldn't help but pout behind his helmet at the Ghost's words but nonetheless said nothing. He had heard of these rumors before but after meeting Ianos personally, it didn't make much sense, at least, not to him. To him, Ianos is a person who must have a reason for everything, even the smallest thing. As such, killing another Guardian in cold blood didn't make sense, at least until now. After hearing his story from Ace, everything clicked together and Spirit couldn't help but be annoyed at Ianos' apathetic approach to his reputation. The Exo Warlock knows that despite no evidence, even a simple testimony will be enough to sway 'some' towards the Veteran Guardian's side and get at least a proper investigation in.

"Wait," Realization dawned upon the Exo Warlock, "I recall Pluto knowing the incident. How does he know?"

A snort escaped the black and orange Ghost, "Truth be told, I think the only reason he knows is because he caught Ianos at a time when he managed to get himself drunk. And you know alcohol can loosen the tongue quite well, no matter how hard one tries."

"And me?"

Spirit then watched Ace turned their orange optic towards the Exo Warlock, "I guess since because I've held it in for so long, I needed to get it off my shoulders."

"Everything seems to be clear."

Spirit glanced towards the entrance of the library, picking himself off the floor as the familiar form of Esther, Aleeza, Carina, and Angel entered, the former of which holstered her hand cannon to her waist.

"We seem to have either cleared off the Vex near our vicinity or we have lost them by dragging Ianos here." Angel stated as he also holstered his weapon, "But for now, we're safe."

"Is he awake yet?" Spirit shook his head at Carina's question causing the latter's shoulders to slump, "Damn, what the fuck is taking him so long? I thought Veteran Guardians recover their light quickly than us 'young ones'."

The Exo Warlock didn't have to glance back at Ace to sense the glare the Ghost sent towards the female Warlock, "Oh I'm sorry, I guess we forgot to mention the 'Darkness' infecting his light."

"Oh…right, sorry." Carina rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as Aleeza chuckled nearby.

"Right," Esther placed one hand on her hip, "So what now?"

"We wait."

All eyes turned towards Ace, silence permeating through the broken library.

"What?" It was Esther who broke the silence, "but we can't wait. Like Ianos said, we're in a race with the Vex to find the 'artifact'."

"So what are you going to do?" Ace retorted, "Leave him here while you guys head out to find this so called 'Warmind'? I don't think so."

Spirit can easily hear the word of finality in the black and orange Ghost's voice and the Exo Warlock can hear the sigh of defeat from the Huntress.

"Well, at least we're in the right place," The Exo Warlock turned his attention towards Esther just in time to see her shrug, "Got lost and I definitely remember where to head from here."

"What?" Spirit gave her a blank look, "You actually had to get lost to know to recognize your surroundings?"

The Exo Warlock can easily sense the sheepish smile behind the female Exo's visor, "Well, what can I say. Some Hunters have to be specific when it comes to recognizing their terrain."

Spirit heaved out a sigh.

Xxxxx

The last thing Axtris expected to occur within the walls of House Spirits was a disagreement split between two sides that leads to infighting. In honesty, she had expected anger and frustration to the point there will be arguing but nothing like this.

After visiting Tenshi, Axtris had retired to her quarters, only to be awakened by shouts and sounds of shock weaponry being fired. The instant she had stepped out, she had to remove her own shock blades around her waist to stop an attacker's blades. Afterwards, she didn't hesitate to insert her blades into their neck. It was only afterwards that she realized it was one of her fellow Eliksni. Hearing more commotion around her, Axtris glanced up to see Eliksni clashing with each other, some of their silver and white capes glittering in the air while others have their symbols absent from their shoulders, the latter of which caused Axtris to stare bewildered at the chaos around her. Before she can take in more of her surroundings, she felt a hand clamp down onto her shoulder and Axtris twirled around with her weapons raised.

" _Axtris! It is me!"_

Axtris blinked, " _Vellak? What's-"_

" _A fight broke out,"_ The female Vandal heard her littermate grunt out, " _There are others still enraged over the deaths of Vivaks, Zhavaks, and Tiroks. When they heard that we have are tending to a Guardian, they-"_

Axtris jumped when a Vandal jumped onto her littermate's shoulder, causing him to cry out in surprise as he stumbled back, amazingly keeping his balance as he planted his staff into the ground. Then hearing him let out a snarl, Axtris watched as her littermate reached up with one of his upper arms, grabbed the Vandal by the back of their neck and tossed them through the air, hearing the latter let out a screech before disappearing from sight.

" _We have to reach Guardian Anthony before the others do,"_ The Captain heaved out, leaning against his staff for support as he added, _"He is their primary target."_

" _Who?_ " Axtris watched as her elder littermate turned and started limping in a direction, prompting her to follow, " _Who is targeting Guardian Anthony?"_

That's when Vellak turned and narrowed his four eyes at her, causing her to slump her shoulders and let out a low rumble. Then just as quickly as his frustration appeared, his eyes softened and he heaved a sigh, " _There are those who are still enraged over the three Scout's deaths. When they heard we have a Guardian staying in our quarters, they were enraged and they declared themselves not of House Spirit. As such, they tore off their capes and started a rebellion."_

" _What?"_ Axtris' four eyes stared wide at her littermate, " _But what-"_

The two were once again interrupted as another Eliksni attacked them, this one missing a cape, only for Axtris to see her littermate easily lift his staff and swing it at their attacker. A sickening crunch emitted from the impact, causing Axtris to flinch before the body of their attacker was swatted to the side, hiding one of the many quarters with a dull thud before collapsing to the ground.

" _No time,"_ Vellak hissed out as he stumbled his way near the side, using his staff to keep anyone who gets too close at bay, " _We have to hurry. If they kill the Guardian, then our relationship with the Tower will crumble and all our work will be for naught."_

" _Trying to kill..."_ Axtris' voice faded as she ducked down to dodge a shock rifle shot, the realization slowly dawning upon her as she clenched her shock daggers tightly, " _Why would they…"_

" _As I have said, no time,"_ The Captain snarled, pressing his hand against one of the many homes, his four eyes narrowing before limping onto the next one, " _Guardian Anthony personally chose a private quarter for himself, as such, his location is unknown and we have to find him-"_

" _The Guardian!"_

That's when screeches of both victory and rage echoed through the area, causing Axtris to snap her attention towards one of the buildings only to feel her heart stop. On top of one of the many buildings located in the House of Spirits base was Anikis and in his grasp, was the wounded Guardian, Anthony, the latter of which let out a grunt as the Vandal forced him onto his feet.

" _Damn,"_ Axtris heard her littermate snarl out.

" _Tonight, we shall be free of the Soldier of Light's yoke!"_ Anikis shouted, earning cheers from the rebels, " _And we shall start with this one!"_

Watching the Scout Vandal hold out a blade, Axtris couldn't help but let out a screech of protest as she shoved her way through the crowd, pushing rebels and allies alike as the latter attempted to bustle forward towards Anikis, only to be stopped by the rebel Eliksni. Shoving her way through the crowd with snarls or a swipe of her shock blade, Axtris managed to reach the building before she quickly climbed to the top.

" _Anikis!"_ She shouted as she came to a pause just near the Vandal, watching him snap his gaze towards her, " _What by the Great Machine are you doing!?"_

That's when she saw Anikis' four eyes light up, as if happy to see the female Vandal before she heard him respond, " _Axtris. Are you here to witness our freedom?"_

" _Freedom?"_ The female Eliksni narrowed her four eyes at the Scout Vandal, " _This is freedom?"_

" _The first step to freedom,"_ Anikis clarified as he held up Anthony, letting Axtris spot the Guardian's bound hands. Doubt then filled her mind with the sight, knowing fully well the Titan can easily break out of his bonds until she spotted an object in Anikis' lower right hand. It was the Guardian's Ghost, their shell wiggling within the Vandal's grip as it struggled to escape. Questioning herself how the Vandal managed to get a hand on Anthony's Ghost, Axtris paused as Anikis held Anthony tightly in his upper left hand but then used their lower left hand to grab the shockblade in his opposite hand and held it towards the struggling Ghost, causing it to immediately cease its movements.

"Don't you dare," Anthony snarled out, but Axtris watched him pause as Anikis pressed the blade against the Ghost's optic, causing the latter to let out a small sound of protest.

" _We have been under the Guardian's yoke for too long,"_ Anikis stated, earning a glare from the female Vandal, " _I thought this 'treaty' would make a difference but after hearing how easily they killed those Scouts, I thought wrong."_

" _It was a mistake, an accident,"_ Axtris snarled out, " _Those Guardians were newborns, new to the words of a treaty with the House of Spirits. They did not recognize our banner."_

" _You are taking their side, Axtris?"_ The female Vandal can sense the glare from the Scout, " _You are betraying our people?"_

" _I am conforming to the Treaty between the Guardians and our people,"_ Axtris retorted, " _Do you not realize that this could save us? That this is our chance to reclaim our lost glory?"_

" _You mean conforming to them as animals?"_ Anikis spat, causing the female Vandal to recoil at his words, " _The Awoken promised the same to us and our ancestors but look what happened? Our rights were taken and we were treated nothing more than fodder for the Guardians in the Prison. And our life here will be no different."_

" _Only Pure One knows of our location."_

" _Oh? How about this Guardian here?"_ Anikis tilted his head towards Anthony, " _He knows of our location and if we let him go, there will be no doubt that he will reveal our location to the other Soldiers of Light and what then? You know there are those who would rather kill us than be allies."_

Axtris couldn't help but hesitate, letting the words of the male Vandal sink in. She knows there are truth in his words, the small doubt in the back of her mind growing. The female Vandal had visited the Tower plenty of times and after increasing her knowledge in the language of the Guardians, she had heard the whispers and words of doubt and she didn't have to understand them to notice the glares pointed at her way. With hardly any progress in the relationship between the two groups, Axtris wonders if any improvement will come from this Treaty at all.

" _You dare speak blasphemy within these walls!?"_

Perking at the familiar voice of the female Kell, Axtris snapped her attention towards the crowd, only to see her fellow Eliksni part as the towering form of Ixrsis passed through. With her increase intake of Ether, the female Eliksni easily towered above all those present, dwarfing even her Captain littermate, and in Axtris' eyes, giving her more a threatening advantage, especially with her four luminescent eyes narrowed in rage. It didn't help that the collar of her cape decorated with feathers seem to bristle with her anger and the way her four arms seem to grip her scorch cannon tightly in her hands, reflecting the fury she held currently within.

" _Without the Guardians, you wouldn't have your freedom!"_ Axtris heard the female Kell snarl out, _"Without the Guardians you wouldn't be here! They gave you the right to be free of the Ashen Ones and this is how you repay them!? Threatening the life of one of their own and trying to insight a rebellion?!"_ The female Vandal watched Ixrsis heft her scorch cannon in her arms and aimed it at Anikis, " _We worked hard to create this Haven and you want it destroyed?!"_

" _This Haven is a lie!"_ Anikis hissed out, " _It is a cage! A farm to keep us enclosed! It is no different than our prison back at the home of the Ashen Ones!"_

Axtris couldn't help but jump back as a roar escaped the female Kell as the latter's four eyes seem to illuminate with her rage, " _Give me one reason why I should not kill you where you stand now, Scout Anikis!"_

That's when Axtris refocused her attention back onto the male Vandal and when she saw the smug look in his four eyes, she couldn't help but feel her stomach drop.

" _You wouldn't want to risk killing this Guardian,"_ Anikis hefted Anthony in front, earning a glare from the Titan before the former held up the Ghost held in his lower right hand, waving the AI teasingly as he added, " _Now how would that look if the Kell kills a Guardian? Let's see how the Solders of Light would react when you say it was only an 'accident'."_

Axtris narrowed her eyes at the smug rumble at the end of his sentence, the female Vandal letting out a low growl as she gripped her shock blades tightly in her hands. However, she paused as Anikis snapped his attention towards her, his own shockblade pressed against the optic of the Titan's Ghost as he tilted his head, as if taunting her to attack. Gritting her mandibles together, Axtris quickly turned her gaze back towards Ixrsis, only to see the Kell's eyes narrowed but her hands not once pulled the lever to fire.

" _What's your choice, Axtris?"_ The female Vandal turned her gaze towards Anikis, " _Once this Guardian is dead, you'll never see your precious 'Pure One' again. Who will you choose between Inkolas or I?"_

Almost immediately, rage overtook Axtris' senses and she couldn't help but let out a snarl at his words, " _Is this what it is about? This chaos happening around us is because you cannot deal with rejection?"_

" _I do not wish to be alone!"_ Anikis' outburst caused Axtris to recoil, " _I have lost everyone! You are the only one left! I-"_

His words were abruptly cut short as the familiar sound of dispersing energy echoed between the pair before a shock blade dug itself into Anikis' shoulder. Hearing the latter let out a screech of surprise and pain, Axtris watched as his grip around the Ghost's shell was lost, allowing the Guardian's Ghost to glide safely out of reach. That was when the female Vandal saw a flicker of solar light around the Titan's wrist before the latter snapped his hands free and raised one of his hands and curled it into a fist. Although currently enraged at her fellow Eliksni, Axtris couldn't help but flinch at the impact of the Titan's fist hitting Anikis' side, easily flinging the Vandal across the rooftop. Turning her head away at the exact moment the male Eliksni landed with a sickening 'thunk', Axtris instead focused her attention onto their supposed savior only to reel back, her four eyes wide. It was Olkar, the Eliksni Vandal glancing over at his littermate as if sensing her stare. Having spent most of his days in his quarters, he looked disheveled, the pieces of cloths he wore in place of his armor looking ragged and have seen better days. His four eyes seemed dark, as if he hadn't slept the entirety of his self-isolation, proven by his slumped shoulders and how loose his grasp was on his shock blade.

As if bored of her presence, Olkar focused his attention back onto Anthony, the latter of which finished examining his Ghost and then turning his attention towards the ragged Eliksni. At first, the two just stared, the hardness of their gaze apparent as they stood just a few feet away from each other. Then just as suddenly, the Guardian held out a hand, Axtris watching Olkar blink several times in surprise before reaching over and grasping his hand in his. Then with a firm shake, the two released their grasp just as quickly and almost instantly, coughing emitted through the air.

Jumping at the intrusion, Axtris turned her attention towards Anikis, only to watch the latter push himself back onto his feet, his hands on his side. She can easily see the indent in his armor where Guardian Anthony had punched him even though his fingers, and she couldn't help but shake her head as Anikis stood on his feet.

" _Don't think this is over,"_ He wheezed out, " _Don't think that-"_

A roar rang through the air followed by Anikis' head snapped to the side, his body soon following the gesture and falling back to the ground. Everything went silent as vermillion blood pooled around the male Vandal's head and slowly but surely, Axtris turned her gaze towards the source of the shot.

Right there, near the entrance, was another Guardian, a Warlock from looking at her armor. Dressed in black and bronze cloths, a skull that Axtris recognizes as a Ram took place of her helmet and the symbol on her bond the female Vandal recognizes as one of the Factions back at the Tower – Dead Orbit, if she recalls correctly. Dressed in the Faction's armor, the Warlock reloaded her sniper before casually holding it in her hands as she stated, "Was sent out here to look for a missing Guardian and I found the door open. Hope you don't mind."

Xxxxx

" _Father! Stop! She is sick! She can't-!"_

 _Something hard came into contact with his cheek, sending him sprawling to the ground._

" _I will deal with you later," The man snarled out, his orange hues flaring with rage as he helplessly watched him stroll over to his mother._

 _Coughing could be heard in the mass of blankets and clothes as her body trembled, her dark azure strands barely visible through the hood. Just as soon as the man came to a pause next to her, glowing violet hues peeked through, signs of weariness and exhaustion clear in her eyes, "Genis?"_

 _No sooner had the name escaped her lips when the man lifted his sidearm and fired, the shot penetrating through her head, causing her shaking form to still and her body to go laxed. A cry of anguish then escaped the young man, the edges of his vision blurring as tears formed in his eyes. That is when he noticed the older man's attention now focused on him._

" _She couldn't defend herself!" He shouted, feeling fresh tears stream down the front of his cheeks, "You just killed her in cold blood! You killed her when she was –"_

 _The young man paused as Genis held up his side arm and pointed it between his eyes, his own orange hues glancing into the person who he had called father._

" _Your mother reported to the Queen of my actions years ago," The older Awoken snarled out, "If it hadn't been for her, my coup could have worked and this family would have lived a life of luxury on the throne."_

" _The throne?" The young man repeated, "You are still obsessed with the throne? Even after all these years?" His lower lip trembled as he momentarily glanced away from Genis, his eyes glancing all over his surroundings before finally locking back onto his father, "Is the throne that important to you? That you would endanger your family to gain it?"_

" _It was 'for' the family!" The young man could see his father's hand shake with rage, "and your mother ruined it for us all." He then saw Genis' finger apply pressure to the trigger, "And you went with her."_

 _The young Awoken said nothing, but instead let a sob escape his lips as his father then stated, "And now, you shall follow her into the afterlife. Goodbye, son."_

 _The last thing the young man heard was the sound of the sidearm's fire echoing through the air._

* * *

 _Anthony belongs to CarethnusiastZr1_

 _Mysterious Guardian belongs to Ali_

 _P.S: To guest viewer Ali: Your character was next on the list of making an appearance in my story but when I went to write her in, I realized that she didn't have a name, from what I could tell. I am unsure if your Guest name 'Ali' is supposed to be her name but can you either send me a review or a message to clarify this? Thank you_

 _Anyways, hopefully this answers a lot of questions :D_

 _Or at least half lol_


	47. We Found You

_**Tormented**_

 _ **We Found You**_

 _I actually finished this chapter early. Proud of myself lol.  
_

 _Anyway, thanks to Lazypersons and Ali for their review!_

 _Ali_ _\- Okay thanks! Wanted to make sure before I properly introduce her lol._

* * *

The stillness of the air around them was tangible to Axtris as all eyes were kept on the female Warlock, the latter of which heaved out a sigh as she hefted her sniper rifle in her hands.

"The name is Ali, if that is what you Scavengers are waiting for," The female Vandal couldn't help but flinch at the insult in the Guardian's words, "If you can understand me, that is."

Even from her position, Axtris can hear the snarls rumble around her and couldn't help but jump as one of her fellow Eliksni – one without a cape – dashed towards the female Warlock, their blades drawn. Then, much to the female Eliksni's shock and awe, Warlock Ali simply raised her sniper and, without even looking into the scope, fired. No sooner had she pulled the trigger when the head of the attacking Eliksni exploded into a rain of blood and metal, their body skidding to a stop just short of the female Guardian's feet.

"Anyone else?" Axtris can easily hear the taunt in Ali's voice and she didn't have to glance down below her to know it had worked. Several Eliksni had already shoved their way through the crowd towards the female Guardian, only for all for them to be promptly killed by Ali's sniper, the latter of which had not once utilized her light to be rid of her attackers.

But that was before Axtris noticed a familiar glimmer flicker behind the female Guardian, feeling her heart stop as the familiar glint of a shock blade flashed in the shadows. Before she can let out a cry of warning, Axtris jumped as another form rammed into the attacker's side, flinging both of them into the ground and skidding across the earth. Startled by the sudden intrusion, the female Vandal leaned forward, as if to help her eyes gain a better look only for her to reel back. It was Inkolas, her supposed 'mate' snarling as he easily pinned the attacking Vandal beneath him, hearing him give the latter warnings before raising one of his shock blades and stabbing it next to the attacker's face; a sign not to take him lightly, Axtris realized.

Then she watched as Inkolas pushed himself onto his feet, giving the attacker one last rumble of warning before he turned to face the female Warlock. Axtris can already see Ali aiming her sniper at the Splicer, her finger twitching against the trigger as Inkolas lowered himself to the ground, slowly making his way towards the female Guardian. Raising his hands in surrender, Axtris couldn't help but reel once more when Inkolas closed the distance between the two, he held out a hand; a sign of peace. Watching Ali take several steps back, as if surprised by the peace token, Axtris waited with bated breath as the Warlock slowly lowered her weapon and slowly wrapped her fingers around his before a firm shake can be seen between the two. This prompted Axtris to let out a sigh of relief, before she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Snapping her attention to her side, Axtris blinked as she saw Olkar leading Guardian Anthony towards the edge of the building, the former of which turned his four eyes at her and let out a low rumble.

Immediately realizing what he was trying to do, Axtris nodded once as she sheathed her daggers before easily sliding off the edge, squaring out her feet to lessen the impact of her landing before glancing up and waving her upper arms towards her littermate; a sign that she was ready. No sooner had she signaled to Olkar that the familiar form of the black and red clad Guardian came into view and Axtris immediately reached up hooked one of her arms under his legs to lessen his fall before grabbing his arms to gain a better leverage. Then with a grunt, she helped the Guardian slide off the building, letting him lean against her shoulder as soon as he landed on the ground. Scanning the Eliksni surrounding them, Axtris snarled at those who she deemed too close before slowly leading him through the crowd, feeling him limp next to her side as the group of Eliksni parted.

Hearing the familiar buzz of his Ghost following behind them, Axtris waited until she neared Warlock Ali to come to a pause, watching as the latter tore her focus away from Inkolas and onto the Eliksni and Guardian pair. Then without uttering a word, Axtris leaned the shoulder holding the injured Guardian towards Ali, noticing the way the Warlock's shoulders squared out as if continuing to be surprised by the actions of the House of Spirits before sheathing her sniper and holding out her hands to take Guardian Anthony. Letting out a low rumble, Axtris complied, feeling the Guardian's arm slide off of her shoulders and leaning into Ali's waiting arms.

"Thank you."

Axtris recoiled at the words, her four eyes blinking in surprise as Guardian Anthony nodded once her way before the female Warlock slowly lead the injured Guardian towards the exit, slowly disappearing from sight as the female Vandal attempted to process his words.

" _Are you okay?"_

Inkolas was the one who spoke to her, snapping Axtris out of her thoughts as she focused her attention onto the male Splicer, and after momentarily staying silent, nodded once. Then without warning, she felt Inkolas wrap his arms around her shoulders as he let out a low rumble, causing the female Vandal to go rigid in his grasp. Unsure of how to react, Axtris decided to relent; he had been patient with her and with the chaos that had occurred today, the female Eliksni decided that at least she should return the affection. As such, she wrapped her arms underneath his arms and returned the rumble, feeling Inkolas' shoulders go rigid at the action but then felt him relax, hearing him let out a small rumble of content.

" _Round up the traitors!"_

The shouting of the female Kell snapped the two out of their embrace, causing Axtris to slide her arms away from the male's grasp. Hearing the latter let out a few clicks of protests, she nonetheless felt him slide his arms from her shoulders, enabling the female Vandal to focus her attention onto Ixrsis.

With her weapon still in her arms, the female Kell let out a another snarl as she shouted, " _I want them all accounted for by the time dawn arrives! Round them up! Now!"_

Hearing the chitters of her fellow Eliksni around her, both in protests and in agreement, Axtris jumped as several members of House Spirit brushed past her, picking up those without their capes and leading them away out of the main center of the base. Hearing the rebelling Eliksni let out snarls of protest but nonetheless did not struggle as they were lead away, Axtris took the opportunity to turn her attention towards the female Kell, only to reel back as the latter's shoulders were slumped, her scorch cannon held loosely in her grasp.

At first bewildered by the sight, it was only when Axtris examined the weapon when she finally recognized it; it was Sirahks' weapon, the familiar scarring of fired wired rifles etched on the side all too familiar to the female Vandal. Wondering where the male Archon was located, it was only when Vellak limped over to the female Kell and placed a comforting hand onto Ixrsis' lower arm did she finally realize what had occurred. Taking in a deep breath, Axtris built up the courage to approach Ixrsis, hearing Inkolas' footsteps follow closely behind her.

" _Kell Ixrsis."_ Axtris watched as Ixrsis shrugged off the Scribe's gentle touch, causing the latter to wrap his hand around his staff.

" _I found him on my way here, shock blade buried into his neck,_ " Axtris noticed her little quirk missing, a sign that the female Kell was in deep emotional turmoil, " _He was already gone but I couldn't help but kneel down and shake him, hoping that perhaps this was all a dream."_ The female Vandal watched as Ixrsis' shoulders shook, noticing her grasp on the scorch cannon tighten, _"My rage got the better of me, I picked up his weapon and just fired at any of those missing the banners of our House and I…"_ Her voice cracked, the female Kell falling onto her knees as she let out a mournful howl, causing all present to pause and stare at their leader.

Feeling emotions build up within her chest, Axtris took a step forward and let out a howl of her own, hearing Inkolas jump behind her at her action. But moments later, she heard Inkolas let out a howl of his own and soon, she heard Vellak join in. From the building nearby, she also heard Olkar let out a mournful howl, letting his cry echo through the home of the House. With their conjoined cries, Axtris heard others, those who are still loyal to House Spirits, howl as well, understanding their action as their cries echoed through the air.

Although the traitors still needed to be rounded up, there still was plenty of time to lock them away. For now, they shall cry for those lost in this civil battle, and eventually, pray for those who had lost their lives to live peacefully in the afterlife.

Xxxxx

" _Mother, you alright?" The young man watched as his mother's lids flickered open, revealing her glowing violet hues as he added, "Do you need some water? I have some right here if you need any."_

 _Watching her nod once, the young Awoken turned and picked up a metal cup before returning to her side. However, as he attempted to tip the cool beverage to her lips, a hand suddenly clasped down onto his wrist, causing him to drop the cup and its contents. Eyes wide, the young Awoken turned his gaze towards his mother's face only for his heart to stop._

 _Her glowing violet hues were now wide against her sweaty face however, her eyes were sunken in and lifeless, missing the once bright color as she turned her head, revealing the gaping wound in the side of her temple._

" _It is your fault," She snarled out, causing the young Awoken reel back at her words, "It is your fault that we died. You insisted on taking me to a nearby settlement for treatment despite my protests. If you hadn't then we wouldn't have encountered your father. I could have lived. You could have lived. We could have lived!"_

 _With a scream, she leaped towards the young Awoken._

Xxxxx

Ianos' eyes snapped open, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to slow down his beating heart. Hearing it thump loudly within his chest, the Awoken Warlock pushed himself into a sitting position with a grunt, placing a hand on to his head to clear the fog within his mind.

"You're awake."

Lowering his hand, Ianos lifted his gaze towards the familiar black and orange form of Ace, the Ghost spinning their back fins several times as they added, "How are you feeling?"

Placing a hand against his chest, Ianos took in several deep breaths, closing his eyes as he held them in, listening to his heart beating before he responded, "If you want an honest answer, kind of feeling numb, can barely move my hands and feet."

"Typical signs of Light Exhaustion," Ianos gave Ace a blank stare, "I just couldn't understand why you decided to attune to Arc Light now. Underground with the threat of the Vex around us, not very smart."

The Awoken Warlock heaved out a sigh, "I know but we had to clear them out quickly, otherwise we would have been overwhelmed."

"There's Carina."

Ianos let out a scoff, "Yes, she is better off than me when attuned to her Solar Light." Raising one knee to prop his arm on, the Awoken Guardian added, "Remember that one time she tried to summon her Hammer in a Rift match?"

Ace let out a hum in response, "If I recall correctly, it imploded in her hands seconds later followed by Light Exhaustion." Ianos heard the black and orange Ghost let out a snicker, "She hasn't quite mastered Solar Light quite yet."

"So, what made you think that she was a better option to use her Hammers? Underground? In a crumbling building?"

"...Good point."

Shaking his head at his Ghost, Ianos took the opportunity to take in his surroundings, his eyes narrowing at the strewn papers and books lying around before eyeing the broken bookcases and tables around him.

"A library," He muttered to himself before his orange hues fell upon a prone form nearby. It was Angel, the young Hunter have curled up into a ball in the corner of a broken bookshelf with his back facing the broken furniture; a habit that all Hunters learn early on.

Raising a brow at the human Hunter's slumbering form, Ianos then saw movement in the corner of his eyes, causing him to shift focus and spot the two resting forms of Carina and Aleeza, the two female Guardians curled up in each other's arms as they slept in between the shelves. It didn't take long for Ianos to find Esther, the female Exo having taken a spot on the opposite side of the shelf that the two female Guardians had taken refuge in, and had taken the same position as the human Hunter; curled up into a ball with her back to the wall.

His thoughts quickly flickering over to the missing form of the green clad Exo, Ianos' nerves were quickly calmed when Spirit walked into the room, his hand cannon in his grasp as his gaze immediately glanced over to the Awoken Warlock.

"You're awake," It was a statement, not a question, causing Ianos to frown behind his helmet as the Exo Warlock walked over and sat down next to him, "Something is on your mind."

Ianos watched as Spirit flinched, his hands repeatedly tapping on the side of his weapon before the Exo stated, "I'm sorry."

The Awoken Warlock couldn't help but reel back at the sudden apology, "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry," Spirit repeated, "I froze back there and thanks to that, I endangered everyone, especially you. You had to use a light you were unaccustomed to and would have been killed if you hadn't cleared out the Vex. I'm…" Ianos watched as the younger Guardian's shoulders slumped, his grip on his weapon laxed as he finished, "I'm sorry."

Blinking several times from behind his visor, Ianos couldn't help but let out a frown on his pale features before curling his hand into a fist and swinging it into the younger Warlock's arm. Hard.

"Ow," Spirit yelped as he leaned away from the male Warlock, rubbing his shoulder as Ianos himself let out a curse, shaking his hand as he said, "Ow? You saying ow? My hand just hit your rock-hard plates."

"Doesn't mean I can't feel it."

Although Ianos rolled his orange hues behind his visor, he couldn't help but let an amused smile jerk at the edges of his lips before he immediately regained his composure, "If you want an honest answer, I was angry at you for cowering at the sight of the Vex."

Immediately, the Awoken Warlock watched Spirit deflate, his hidden gaze behind his visor emitting shame, "But I cannot blame you for acting the way you did."

Ianos watched as Spirit's head perked up, the shame quickly turning into one of bewilderment, "What do you mean?"

"Do you think that all Guardians are fearless?" Ianos can tell his question put the Exo Warlock in thought, watching the latter tilt his head as he pondered before the Awoken Warlock added, "Every single Guardian has a fear that shadows them." The Veteran Guardian then let out a snort, "Even that Iron Pup Saladin, despite his demeanor, knows fear."

Watching Spirit's shoulders square out, the words that spilled from the younger Exo's lips were to be expected but Ianos still couldn't help but flinch as he asked, "Including you?"

Taking in a deep breath, Ianos held it in until the beating of his heart slowed, signaling to the older Warlock to slowly breath out, "Yes, including me."

Hearing the younger Warlock go silent, Ianos then watched the latter hold up his hand cannon, playfully tossing it back and forth in his grasp before he stated, "It's fire, isn't it?"

Ianos flinched, "Yes."

"Natural or light?"

"…Both."

Ianos watched as Spirit continued to toss his hand cannon back and forth in his hands, "Does it have to do with your time in the Catacombs?"

Immediately, the Awoken Warlock's breathing hitched, his orange hues widening behind his visor as Spirit fidgeted uneasily in his seat, "How did you…?"

Hearing the familiar sound of clicks of Ace's parts shifting nervously near his ears, Ianos didn't have to wait for Spirit to respond to put the pieces together.

"Ace." Ianos hissed out, turning his gaze towards the Ghost as the latter reeled away from the Awoken Guardian, "You told him?"

"It had been 'years', Ianos," Ace retorted, twirling their back fins frustratingly as they added, "I believe it is time for at least 'one' other person to know what is going on."

Gritting his teeth behind his helmet, Ianos then snapped his gaze towards Spirit, watching the latter slowly scoot away in an attempt to expand the distance between the two. However, just as quickly the anger settled in, it faded, only to be quickly replaced with relief and hope. Despite his initial reaction, Ianos couldn't help but feel relieved and felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He hadn't expected anybody to believe his side of the story so hearing Spirit ask questions hints to the Awoken Warlock that the Exo seems to be on his side. At least, that is what he can tell.

Heaving out a sigh, Ianos then shook his head as he waved it off, "Forget it."

Seeing Spirit's shoulders slump in relief, Ianos then leaned forward and propped his chin on the back of his hand as he used his knee as leverage for his elbow, closing his eyes to take in the silence. This enabled the Awoken Warlock to hear Spirit shift nervously next to him in his seat, still listening to the sound of him tossing his hand cannon back and forth in his grasp.

"Why do you not tell others of your story?" Spirit broke the silence, "Or at least clear your name."

Opening his eyes, Ianos lifted his head off of his hand and turned his gaze back towards Spirit, the Exo Warlock's weapon now still in his hands and his gaze fixated onto the Veteran Guardian, "I have heard stories of you. Most of them are around the 'incident' with you and the Guardian in the Plaza."

Spirit must have seen Ianos flinch for the Exo Warlock then suddenly paused, his head tilted as if waiting for him to speak. The Awoken Warlock then took the opportunity to state, "Did Ace not tell you? By the time I arrived at the Tower after my ordeal, everyone already believed Hunter Wesley's story. Even if I do say something, the majority will not believe me."

"You don't know that," Spirit retorted, Ianos can easily sense the narrowed glance behind the Exo's visor, "Who knows? Maybe there are those like me who doubt the rumors. That perhaps there is more to the story than others let on."

Letting out a small snort of doubt, the Awoken Warlock didn't say anything but instead once again, propped his chin on the back of his hand as he stared off into the distance. Apparently this signaled Spirit to continue.

"Not all of us believe the rumors, Ianos," The Exo Warlock remarked, before Ianos saw him nod his head towards the others from the corner of his eyes, "And I bet if you tell your team the truth, they would believe you as well. And perhaps, they can help clear your name."

This caused Ianos to lift his head from his hand and fixate his gaze onto Spirit once more. But once again, he said nothing, only fixating his eyes onto the younger Warlock. The Exo Guardian must have taken it as a challenge for the latter fixated his gaze towards the Veteran Guardian, his grip on his weapon now tight as if in an attempt to strengthen his focus. Feeling himself slowly crack, Ianos felt the edges of his lips twitch upward before he let out a snicker, watching as Spirit reel back at his reaction.

"Perhaps you're right," Ianos admitted as he once again propped his chin on the back of his hand, "perhaps they will believe me."

From the corner of his eyes, Ianos watched as Spirit lean in, his head tilted as if surprised by his words but none the less, the younger Guardian said nothing else, but instead leaned away and went back to tossing his weapon back and forth in his hands.

"How long were the others out?" Ianos couldn't help but let an amused smile form on the edges of his lips as Spirit jumped in his seat.

"Not sure," The Exo Warlock admitted, "I volunteered to patrol for, you know, to make up for my incompetence earlier despite my…fears. I just recently returned."

Nodding his head once to take note of the Exo Warlock's words, Ianos instead focused his attention to Ace, the Ghost having hovered next to his shoulder.

"A few hours, almost dawn," The black and orange Ghost responded, "they all decided to take a rest, especially since I convinced Esther not to leave you behind."

"Well that delayed our plans," Ianos muttered out, watching his Ghost twirl their back fins once, "But I guess it cannot be helped."

"What are you three talking about?"

Now it was Ianos' turn to jump in his seat, his orange hues snapping towards the waking form of Angel, the human Hunter pushing himself into a seating position as he stretched his arms above his head with a yawn.

"Nothing much," It was Spirit who responded to the human Hunter's question, "We were just having an idle chat."

"How long were you awake for?"

"Just a few minutes," Ianos responded as he watched Angel roll his shoulders, "A few more minutes of rest and I should be able to walk soon."

"That's good to hear," The human Hunter then rubbed the back of his neck, "We were all worried when you sudden collapsed. Although Ace told us it was Light exhaustion, knowing about your … condition, it really didn't ease our worries."

Ianos blinked at the human Hunter's words, lifting his chin from the back of his hand as he stated, "Oh, thank you for your concern."

Almost immediately, Angel let out a sputter, "Okay, what is up with you today?"

The Awoken Warlock raised a brow at this, "What do you mean?"

"You apologized and said please earlier today," Angel responded, "And now you're saying 'thank you'? That is unlike you."

His eyes narrowing behind his helmet, Ianos let out a scoff as he retorted, "And that is deemed 'strange' to you?"

"Knowing you, yes." Ianos glared at the younger Guardian, "You never actually apologize or thank anyone for 'anything' unless something is bothering you. So, what's up?"

Keeping his narrowed glance on the young Hunter, Ianos then heaved out a sigh of defeat, "You Hunters, cannot hide anything from you."

"I had good teachers," Ianos couldn't help but feel like Angel was smiling behind his helmet, prompting the Awoken Warlock to shake his head, the edges of his lips twitching upward before regaining his composure, "You had heard me with the Vanguard, correct? How they promised me that I wouldn't work with 'her'."

"Esther?" Ianos nodded at Angel's question, "Why?"

The Veteran Guardian heaved out a sigh, "You know Exos can have their memories wiped correct?"

Ianos watched as both Angel and Spirit nodded at his question, "Then listen carefully, Esther-9, I had known her as Esther-8."

That's when Angel fell forward, the Hunter having apparently leaned in as if an attempt to take n the information better while as Spirit dropped his weapon, Ianos hearing it clatter to the floor.

"Excuse me!?" Ianos frowned at the human Hunter's exclamation and held up a finger near his helmet to signal to him to be quiet.

"Is everyone awake?"

Giving Angel a blank look as the Hunter immediately slapped both hands over his helmet where his lips would be, Ianos focused his attention to the three females of the team, watching as they all sat up with a yawn and stretched.

"How are you feeling?" It was Esther who asked the question, causing Ianos to fixate his gaze onto the female Hunter.

" _I can imagine running headlong into Cabal would hurt," She chirped as she helped snap his shoulder back in place, causing him to let out a yelp, "Now, don't complain. The two of you did this to yourself." He heard her laugh as she added, "Then again, a being with skin as hard as metal would be able to take hits from a Phalanx better than a squishy one as you."_

"I am fine," Ianos responded, watching as the Huntress' head tilted, as if bewildered by his answer before the Awoken Warlock forced himself onto his feet, stumbling back several steps before regaining his footing, "Shall we head out?"

"You sure?" It was Aleeza's turn to ask about his well-being, watching as she stood up while pulling Carina onto her feet as well, "You suffered from Light Exhaustion. Even if you feel fine now, later on, it might affect you, especially if your light hasn't rejuvenated enough."

"We are racing against time," Ianos retorted, hearing the female Warlock pause as he added, "We have no time to wait around and recover, at least, not a hundred percent." Hearing Ace glide over his shoulder, Ianos glanced over to his Ghost only to see the latter nod once, "I should be able to defend myself at least. The Vex shouldn't cause us anymore trouble, especially if we are 'lost'."

Ianos watched as Esther rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

" _You sure you know where we are going?" He watched as the female Exo twirled around, annoyance clearly emitting from behind her visor, "Of course I know where I am going! I am a Hunter! I know 'exactly' where to go!" Watching her turn her back to him, he couldn't help but let out a smirk as her shoulder's slumped, "…Venus? Where do we go from here?" The two male Guardians couldn't help but laugh._

"Lead the way," He gestured with his hand, signaling to the female Exo to nod and push herself onto her feet, signaling to those who are still sitting to do the same. Watching her head towards the exit, Ianos fixated his gaze towards Ace, watching the Ghost keep their orange gaze on the back of the Huntress' head.

"I miss her," Ace whispered, causing Ianos' shoulders to slump.

"I know," He whispered back, "I miss her too."

Xxxxx

It was strange to Axtris that the very same Eliksni that had tried breaking the treaty she couldn't help but give a proper burial. Once they had shifted through the dead, Axtris was one of the few to drag the bodies of those who rebelled and bury them just outside of the home of the House Spirits. Amongst them was Anikis, Axtris having to delicately wrap his head in cloth to ensure all the pieces remain together before carrying him outside. Then, just like what she had done with the others, she made a grave and placed a tombstone in order to mark his burial. She simple had engraved his name and rank, after all, that was all she knew about the Scout. But even so, Axtris couldn't help but glue herself in front of his grave, unsure of what to say and how to react to his death.

" _He lost his mother."_

Jumping at the new voice, Axtris snapped her head to the side, only to recognize the familiar Splicer standing next to her. He had changed not long after she became his 'mate', mainly for the reason that he had modified himself, replacing his upper limbs with prosthetics to give himself enhanced strength plus his legs to increase his agility. An eyepiece is over his left eye to enable him to gain a closer look at objects alongside his Ether Mask, where he had modified it to strain Ether at a better rate which helps him work longer periods without having to visit a Servitor. But yet, he was still easily recognizable through both his scent and his personality, something of which Axtris knows will never change.

" _What do you mean?"_ The female Eliksni saw Inkolas momentarily glance at her before turning his attention back towards Anikis' tombstone.

" _Anikis always told me all he ever wanted was a family,"_ He explained, "As _such when he had heard all those imprisoned at the Prison would be release, he had hoped his mother would still be amongst the living. But that wasn't the case."_ Inkolas heaved out a sigh, " _When he realized his mother was not amongst the survivors, he slowly enclosed himself into madness. But then not long after, he had believed that if he were to find a mate, he would start a family of his own, and as such, since you were the first female he had interacted, he came to you."_

" _Is that why you challenged him?"_ Axtris asked, watching the male Vandal pause, " _To stop him?"_ She watched him nod, _"Why?"_

" _Because you would have said yes,"_ Inkolas responded, causing the female Vandal to reel back at his words, " _You have said yes despite how you felt. So, in order to save you from a mate that you were unhappy with, I challenged him._ " She then heard him snort, " _Although, I didn't really quite think it through when I realized that I would become your mate if I won."_

" _But you never touched me,"_ Axtris saw the male Splicer pause once more, " _Why?"_

" _You are your own, Stealth Vandal Axtris of House of Spirits,"_ She heard Inkolas respond, " _I do not wish to mate unless you are willing. And when I heard that you were not interested, I decided to wait. However,"_ Axtris watched as he turned his eyes toward her, _"If you truly do not want me, I can easily leave you alone. I will declare that we are no longer mates and you may be a lone female once again. If that is what you wish."_

Axtris blinked at his words, letting out a low rumble as she tilted her head in contemplation, " _When I first had met both you and Anikis, I would have thought that between the two of you, I would have chosen the latter. He had seemed nice, gentle, and the best mate to sire my children. However, after seeing him get overtaken by madness, it seemed I have – what do humans call it?- judged the wrong cover."_

She heard the male Splicer let out a snort, " _You mean, do not judge a book by its cover?"_ Axtris then heard him let out a rumble, an Eliksni equivalent of a chuckle.

Letting a smile spread across her own white features, Axtris then took it as an opportunity to ask, " _I saw you save that Guardian. But if I recall correctly, you seem to have a hate for them. Why did you save her?"_

That's when the female Vandal watched the male Splicer pause, his shoulders rigid and his four eyes blank of any emotion. At first, thinking she had overstepped a boundary, Axtris opened her mandibles to excuse herself and to apologize for her outburst.

" _It would have broken the Treaty between Guardians and our House if she dies, correct?"_ Axtris paused at his question, " _And you seem to cherish your friendship with Pure One, correct? If I had not charged towards the attacker, then you would have been upset. And I did not want to see you upset, Axtris."_

" _You still do not trust Guardians?"_

That's when Axtris saw hesitation flash through his eyes, watching his shoulders slump as he let out a low rumble, " _I am…not sure."_ Axtris blinked at his answer, " _I thought at first all Guardians were the same. However, that was before I met Pure One personally. When he watched me work on one of my designs, I snarled at him, threatened him to leave. But instead, he asked me questions on how my design worked, and complimented me, saying it was a design he had never seen before. Then despite my attempts, we grew into conversation, and in the end, I found myself wanting him to stay when he had to take his leave."_ Shaking his head, Inkolas then fixated his gaze back onto the female Eliksni, " _I had thought I had trusted my last human years ago, but it seems that is a lie."_

" _Years ago?"_

Watching Inkolas' head raise alongside his shoulders, Axtris waited when the latter let out a small hum of thought, his head slightly tilted as if debating to answer her question. However, before she can receive her answer, Inkolas instead perked up and quickly twirled around, prompting the female Vandal to do the same. Behind them was Olkar, the ragged Vandal walking towards them with a new cloak draped over his shoulders in an attempt to ward off the cold.

" _Everyone is to head to the middle of the plaza,"_ Axtris blinked at her littermate's words, " _A discussion is currently taking place."_

" _A discussion of what?"_ It was Inkolas who asked the question and Axtris watched as Olkar slowly turned his four eyes towards the Splicer.

" _A discussion of relocating."_ He responded.

Xxxxx

"I am amazed that the Vex are still here! I would have thought they would have found this 'artifact' by now!"

"Less talking! More shooting!"

Gritting her jaw, Esther repeatedly fired her hand cannon into the bodies of the copper machines, her aim true as familiar white fluids exploded from their abdomens and their glowing red eye flickering off as their bodies collapsed.

"Something must be keeping them out!" It was Ianos, the Warlock having switched to a Scout rifle to help steady his aim, his shots easily weaving past the five Guardians in front of him as he covered them from behind, "Why else the Vex would still be here?!"

"Because they haven't found it yet!?" From the corner of her eyes, Esther watched as Carina stood up, her wrists crackling with arc light, "Fire in the hole!"

Everyone then paused their gunfire when the female Titan charged towards the Vex, watching as she leaped forward with her fists in the air and then slamming into the ground. Feeling the stone floor shake under them, the group of Guardians only resumed fire once Carina rushed back to the group, sliding between them before twirling around with her auto rifle and firing once more.

"Then they must be distracting us!" Angel shouted through the gunfire, "We have to get through! Now!"

"Well, any ideas!?" Esther barked back, kneeling down behind the broken wall the group is using for cover to reload before standing up and firing once more, "Can't exactly clear them out with rockets and grenades since, you know, we're underground and all?"

"Then move out of the way," Feeling a hand push her to the side, Esther couldn't help but narrow her optics at the familiar azure and black form of Ianos, only for her gaze to widen as he unsheathed his machine gun from his back.

The Huntress immediately recognizes its long nozzle and sleek form pinpricked with violet besides its silver hue. However, what caught her attention the most, was the violet lights peeking through the cracks of the weapon, instantly giving away its identity: Nova Mortis.

"How long did you have 'that'?" Doubt laced Esther's voice as she asked the question, watching Ianos turned his gaze towards the female Exo.

She had heard of the three infamous machine guns, all three having been crafted by the same Titan many years ago and being a collector, she had coveted the set. However, she had heard that the blue prints for two of the three weapons have been lost: Nova Mortis and Abbadon. Disheartened by the fact, she was at first satisfied with having the Thunderlord amongst her collection but now, seeing one of the missing legendary weapons sent shockwaves throughout her systems.

"You mean this old thing?" Esther watched as Ianos hefted the Nova Mortis in his grasp, "Had it for years, hard to maintain by the way." Then, without another word, the Huntress watched as he aimed his weapon and fired.

Immediately, streaks of void light flew through the air before the sound of bullets crashing into the metal bodies of the Vex echoed throughout the hall, sending the Vex's broken bodies to the floor as Ianos shifted his aim, letting Nova Mortis easily cleave down the crowd. In awe of the weapons work, Esther couldn't help but lean in close, her green optics eyeing the gun greedily.

"It's not for you, Esther," The Huntress jumped as Ace's voice echoed through the coms, "We may not have used it in 'years' but it is still ours. No use in asking him to keep it."

Frowning behind her visor, Esther couldn't help but grumble under her breath as she listened to the gun's rounds slow down and Ianos sheathing the weapon on his back.

"All clear," He stated, waving his hand towards the female Exo, signaling to her to take the lead once more.

Still pouting behind her visor, Esther reluctantly took steps past the Awoken Warlock, brushing her fingers against the violet machine gun as she passed; someday.

"That thing is a beast," Esther heard Carina remark behind her, sensing the awe in her tone as she added, "Why didn't you use it earlier?"

"Despite how it looks, it's a prototype," The Huntress nearly snapped her gaze over her shoulder towards the Warlock in shock. She barely stopped herself as Ianos continued, "The Titan that crafted this weapon only handed out a few to see how it functions out in the battlefield. Sadly, with his death, the prototypes just stayed as they were; prototypes."

"And your opinion on it?" Esther nearly raised a hand to her helmet, her green optics wide in surprise at her own outburst as she now sensed the Awoken Warlock's gaze on her back.

"It fires well," The Huntress blinked in surprise as he actually responded, "Barely any kick back, although the rate of fire increase near the end I can do without."

She heard Carina snort, "Can't control it near the end, eh, old man?"

"Shut up."

Letting a smile form behind her helmet, Esther focused her optics forward, her memory clicking as the familiar crackling walls and moss came into view, "We're almost there."

"That's good," It was Spirit, the female Hunter can imagine his shoulders slumping with his hand cannon going laxed in his grip from his tone, "I want to get out of here. The Vex, eugh."

"Hey, you didn't do too bad," Recognizing the gentle tone as Aleeza's, Esther can imagine the female Warlock patting the Exo Warlock's shoulder in comfort, "You were at least able to make it to Venus."

"Yeah, where I am being a burden."

"Oh, shut up about that," It was Carina's turn to speak, "You have a crippling fear but you were able to make it to Venus. I say, that's progress. One step at a time!"

Hearing Spirit let out a chuckle, Esther can tell the female Exo's words were taking affect, "Thanks."

Regaining her focus, Esther's optics finally glazed over a familiar hallway, prompting her to raise her hand and wave towards the others to signal they were near. Almost immediately, silence followed, signaling to Esther to peer through the hallway to ensure that it was all clear before signaling once again for the others to follow.

"We're here," She chirped out as she made her way down towards the end of the hall.

Like many of the halls, it was wide enough for all six Guardians to stand next to each other shoulder to shoulder, and with plenty of arm space still available. This in turn, made the door size just as big, the rusted frame and moss signaling its lack of use over the years. However, unlike the other doors, this one was unmarked, its gray plating a blank slate to hide its significance.

"This is where the 'artifact is at?"

"This is where I first 'encountered' it," Esther corrected, sensing the frown from Ianos as she added, "I didn't necessarily 'see' it but as I have stated before, it had lead me safely out of here when I was surrounded by hostiles." Walking up to the door, the female Hunter placed a hand onto the rusted metal and traced her fingers in between the cracks, "I had sensed its presence back here before it told me to run."

"So, we just have to open the door then?" Hearing Carina load her shotgun, Esther immediately twirled around to tell the female Titan to stop, only to pause when the familiar white and silver clad form of Angel approached the door, his hand cannon held loosely in one hand as he traced his fingers over the cracks of the door, "Angel?"

"I didn't want to say it earlier but," She sensed him hesitate, "Everything seems familiar."

"What do you mean?" Spirit asked the question lingering in the back of Esther's mind.

"Hope resurrected me on Venus," Angel responded, "And I clearly remember my death here on Venus, so I guess it would make sense some markers would be familiar to me but…" He shook his head, "Never mind." Esther then watched as he took several steps away from the door, "The past is the past, no need to linger back on it."

"Speaking of the past," Esther turned her focus on Ianos, the latter of which removed his scout rifle from his back, "Vex, incoming."

As if on cue, the familiar copper clad machines materialized into view, their Goblins shifting their cannon arm before slowly making their way towards to six Guardians. However, they had reinforcements.

"Minotaurs!" Aleeza shouted as she aimed her pulse rifle and started firing, her bullets bouncing off the larger Vex's shields.

Optics wide behind her visor, Esther held up her hand cannon and prepared to fire when groaning echoed behind. Blinking several times, the Huntress twirled around only for her jaw to drop as the rusted doors shifted and squealed as they opened.

"Guys… Guys!" Snapping her fingers in an attempt to gain her team's attention, she then pointed her finger at the door, "The door! The door!"

It was both amusing and frustrating when her team turned and stared in shock at the opening entrance, prompting the female Exo to gesture with both hands towards the door, "Let's go!"

Then without turning back once, Esther dashed into the room, skidding down onto her knees before twirling around and firing her hand cannon through the opening cracks of the door. Giving the rest of the team cover fire, she watched that as soon as the last of the members dashed in, the doors immediately started closing, the Vex fire pinging off the doors as it slowly shut. Then finally, with a loud clang, the doors closed, separating the Guardians from the Vex.

"Everyone through?" Esther asked, glancing over at Spirit, the latter of which was on his hands and knees as he responded with a shaky nod. If Ether thought any better, if he had been human, she would have guessed that he would have been extremely pale behind his visor. But nonetheless, Esther glanced round to confirm the Exo Warlock's answer, counting exactly five – not including herself – bodies inside the room. As such, Esther took the opportunity to take in their surroundings.

As she expected, several computer consoles lined up against on one side of the wall however, to her surprise, objects that resembled pods lined up on the opposing side, each having a number – 6 to 9 – imprinted on the face. In the middle is what Esther believes to be the core, the humming of power proof of its function. Around it are more consoles and screens, most likely to keep an eye on the power source. Hanging over heard, are the remains of wires that had fallen through the decaying ceiling, giving the room a feral look as Esther slowly approached the core.

As she traced her fingers over the keys, clicks of familiarity rang through the back of her mind, causing her to frown behind her visor. However, before she can voice this, the sound of static emanated through the air, causing Esther to jump. Twirling around with her hand cannon raised, she saw the others with their weapons raised as well, their heads perked and their body rigid with caution.

However, not long after, the static slowly cleared and a soft hum echoed through the air.

" _It has been a long time."_

The voice echoed all around the team, Esther watching as not only herself, but the others also jumped where they stood from the echoes. It was both disorienting and unnerving, as not only was the voice emanating from a location that they were unable to pinpoint, but also the way the voice sounded. The static was still there despite the attempts to clear it, and the voice sounded distorted, as if trying to gain a signal through a broken signal.

Fumbling with her hand cannon, Esther couldn't help but aim and twirl around, feeling her cloak flutter behind her as she shouted, " _Who's there!?"_

Almost immediately, small 'tuts' could be heard around them followed by a disappointed sigh, " _You really don't remember me, Esther? And here I thought you and Venus said we would be companions forever."_

"Venus?" Esther couldn't help but frown behind her visor albeit, she lowered her weapon. The questioning tone in her voice must have prompted the new voice to continue.

" _Don't you remember? The two of you found me during one your patrols through here. It was a nice change, having someone to actually talk to instead of the empty space you see now. And you even bought more friends!"_

Although she couldn't 'see' who was speaking, Esther can easily sense the giddiness in the speaker's voice, causing her to completely holster her weapon around her waist. She deems them as not a threat, at least, for now. Although that doesn't clear up her bewilderment with how this unknown speaker seems to know her. As such, this prompted her to ask the first question that popped into her mind.

"Do you know my full name?"

A chuckle emanated through the air, " _Of course I do! Your name is Huntress Esther-8 of Clan Galaxy."_

* * *

 _Okay, that's it for this week! We'll see who this mystery person is next week! :D_

 _Ali belongs to Ali_

 _Anthony belongs to_ _CarenthusiastZr1_


	48. I'm Sorry

_**Tormented**_

 _ **I'm Sorry**_

 _I know late update lol. But here it is! :D  
_

 _Still am sick but slowly getting better (hopefully). Progress on my story should be back into place._

 _Thanks to all those who reviewed! ^_^_

 _Really appreciate it! :D_

* * *

"You said that you would protect me from the enemy team!"

"I did! But you just waltzed right out in front of 'their' sniper before I can do anything!"

Orion couldn't help but roll his optics as the twin Exo bickered amongst themselves and instead, opted to peek through his scope, keeping his focus down the lane that the three of them had taken refuge in.

After Olkar had been called back to the House of Spirits, Orion had secluded himself from the others, preferring isolation after his friend's departure. Spending majority of his time in his room when not on active duty or his help with the Clan was not needed, the only reason the cyan Exo had even left his quarters was that Gemini and Scorpio wanted to play a round of Skirmish with him, and even then, he was only willing for the reason that Trikxas bickered with him to say yes.

Although the twins were well renowned in the Crucible for their ability to work in tandem, there were 'rare' occasions when the twins themselves would argue, mainly for the 'lack' of skill of the other. Currently, Orion and the twins were facing against a group of snipers, the opposing team have taken up residence on the other end of the 'sniping' lane, a notorious area in the Pantheon where snipers 'stand off' to challenge each other's skills. And the twins were losing. Already, Gemini and Scorpio already had their heads blown off twice each, and have yet to gain a headshot on any of the members of the opposing team. Although Orion would roll his optics at their lack of progress, the Exo Titan had to admit that he himself had not done any better, having land some hits with his sniper but have yet to kill anyone himself. As such, the older Guardian had kept quiet, and instead, focused on peeking through his scope, waiting for a familiar glint of a sniper to gain a target.

"Move out of the way! I can end all of this!"

"No! You! You're the one who got me killed in the first place!"

"How is it 'my' fault when 'you' walked right out into their line of sight!?"

"Can you two just shut up!?"

Feeling the gaze of the twins now on his back, Orion heaved out a sigh as he lowered his sniper and narrowed his optics at the two Hunters. Without their helmets, it was easier to tell the two apart: Gemini with her narrower optics and thinner cheeks while as Scorpio has a broader face and wider eyes. Although subtle, the cyan Exo knew the two long enough to tell the difference, however, when their helmets are secured over their faces, it was a wholly different story. The two wore the same armor with the same color scheme, even their cloaks which held the banner of Clan Galaxy. As such, unless the two spoke, Orion cannot tell the difference and instead, ensured his glare emanated to both of them. From the way their shoulders went rigid and the their grips tightening on their snipers, it worked.

Letting out a small scoff as the two remained quiet, Orion then turned his attention back towards the sniping lane and went back to peeking through his scope.

"Uh, Orion?," The Exo Titan sighed, "This maybe a bad time, but my brother and I cannot help but be concerned."

That's when Orion frowned behind his visor, twirling around quickly enough that he witnessed the two Hunters jump at his sudden action, "Concerned? Concerned for what? Concerned that you might lose this match?"

"No," Orion can sense the frown behind Gemini's visor, "we are concerned about you."

That's when the older Exo paused, his grip on his sniper slacking as he blinked, "What?"

"You have been…distant lately," It was Scorpio who spoke, "As soon as our mission is complete, you are off to your room without even saying a word. That is the main reason why my sister and I asked you to play a round of Skirmish. We had hoped that this match would unload what is bothering you off of your shoulders."

"'Nothing' is bothering me."

"Your actions say otherwise." Gemini retorted, earning a glower from the older Exo, "Isolating yourself? Acting angry at the smallest annoyance? Yelling at your family? That is unlike you, Orion."

Grinding his jaw together, the green and brown clad Titan couldn't help but walk over and push his face close to the female Exo's, watching her reel back from the action as he snarled, "Unlike me? 'How' do you know this is unlike me? You have hardly hit the age of one just a few weeks ago, but yet you have to nerve to claim you know me? What gives you the right?!"

No sooner had his words left his lips when he felt pressure build on his shoulder followed by a shove, causing Orion to stumble to the side. Keeping his footing, the green and clad Exo Titan narrowed his pink optics at Scorpio.

"Who gave you the right to yell at my sister!?" Seeing the younger Guardian now holding a hand cannon in his grasp, Orion couldn't help but raise his guard, his grip on his weapon tightening.

Although still young, Orion had viewed enough matches with Scorpio to know that the Gunslinger was deadly with the revolver, easily outgunning inexperienced Hunters with a single draw and can put up a fight against experienced Gunslingers. As such, eyeing the weapon now in Scorpio's grasp, Orion hefted his sniper in his hands, readying himself in case he needs to defend.

"Orion," Trikxas' voice hissed through the older Guardian's helmet, "What are you doing?"

Ignoring the female Ghost's words, Orion prepared himself, his optics watching Scorpio raise his weapon.

A loud bang echoed through the air however, to the older Guardian's surprise, Scorpio's body went flying sideways before landing with a dull 'thump' just a few feet away, hearing Gemini let out a scream of surprise and shock not long after. Blinking several times, Orion jumped as a figure suddenly dashed in from one of the halls and before he can call out a warning, slammed into the female Exo.

Hearing Gemini let out a scream as the charge carried her, Orion couldn't help but flinch when she and her attacker collided into the opposing wall, a sickening crack echoing through the air to signal the damage. As her attacker – a Titan - took steps back, letting her body slide to the floor, Orion quickly switched to his pulse rifle, his intent clear when he aimed his weapon. However, before he can pull the trigger, a bang echoed through the air followed by pain shooting through the Exo Titan's side. A cry of surprise and pain escaped Orion's lips before he felt an impact connect with the side of his helmet, hearing his armor piece crack before spiraling to the floor.

"Orion!"

Clenching his jaw as Trikxas continued to voice her concerns, Orion pushed himself onto his knees, only to hear chuckling behind.

"Members of the infamous Clan Galaxy, taken down so easily," The Exo Titan narrowed his optics behind his visor, "just because you clashed against each other." A tut then echoed to Orion's auditory sensors, "Who would have thought the Clan would hold such insolence."

Rage bubbling within his chest, Orion found himself cursing at the opposing team, snapping at them at his pink optics glared at the closest member – A Warlock – snarling as he placed a hand on his wounded side. Expecting retaliation for his outburst, Orion instead saw the three Guardians reel backwards, as if surprised by his words before he saw the Warlock's mood shift; his shoulders going rigid and a harden glare emitting behind his visor.

"A Scavenger lover?" Orion couldn't help but pause at the Warlock's words, "How the fuck are you aligned with them?"

At first confused at the words of the opposing Guardian, it only clicked for Orion when Trikxas whispered, "You cursed them out in the Eliksni tongue. You really need to break the habit of cursing in the Eliksni tongue."

Cursing silently under his breath, Orion then took in a sharp breath when the Warlock stormed over and grabbed him by the front of his armor, forcing him onto his feet before pulling him close to his helmet.

"You spying for the Scavengers, Traitor?" Orion glared at the opposing Warlock through his cracked visor, "What information did you pass on to them? Tell me!"

Instead of answering the Guardian's question, Orion instead glanced over to the Warlock's teammates, eyeing the two Titans as the familiar shape of Scorpio's Ghost disappeared out of view, leaving only the familiar dark azure hue of Gemini's Ghost hovering near the opposing Guardians.

"What do you expect from your team?" Orion turned his focus back onto the enraged Guardian, "That they can-"

Morbid satisfaction replaced the rage that the young Exo currently held when a bullet pierced through the Warlock's head, their head jerking from the action before his grip laxed from the front of Orion's armor. Immediately, the green and brown clad Titan dashed down the snipers' lane, hearing bullets trail behind before sliding into the safety of the black of stone imbued in the middle, and removing his sniper from his back.

"You will have to thank Scorpio later."

Saying nothing in response to Trikxas' words, Orion instead glanced over the block of stone, just in time to see one of the Titans – the one who had attacked Gemini – reach over and grasp the female Exo's Ghost in his hands, most likely in an attempt to impede her resurrection. Although, at first concern for the female Hunter grazed the back of his mind, it soon quickly calmed when he spied Sirius, the black shell of Scorpio's Ghost glinting under the dim light as he zoomed past the two Titans and spread his parts out above Gemini's body.

Immediately, the Huntress materialized into view, and Orion can only imagine the shock and surprise running through the two Titans' heads before the familiar azure light of Arc Blade flashed into his vision. Watching Gemini slash at the two opposing Guardians, Orion couldn't help but shake his head as Nysa, the dark azure Ghost of Gemini, materialized back into the safety of the Huntress' armor.

The twins were unique in more than one sense. Being Exo created in the same image, the two also have the unique trait of their Ghosts resurrecting the other without the aid of their twin's Ghost. The Clan had figured out this unique trait when Nysa mistaken Scorpio's light as Gemini's during a Clash match, resurrecting the male Hunter to everyone's surprise. Now the pair had taken this to their advantage, if the Ghost of the other twin is unavailable, the other Ghost will trail in and perform the resurrection. Cordelia, the lone Warlock, was fascinated with the find and quickly came to a theory that everyone (or at least most) seems to agree with; that their Light are similar in pattern and resonance to the point that even their own Ghosts cannot tell them apart if they were just to identify their light. This eventually lead to the female Warlock to come to a theory that if one of the twin's Ghosts were to die, both twins can still survive from a single Ghost, although, the twin Exo aren't willing to put the theory to the test.

"Orion."

Snapping out of his thoughts, the male Exo fixated his gaze back towards Gemini only to watch the latter slowly make her way towards him, her arc light dying from her figure. Back then, he would have piped in and greeted her, waving her over to signal that all was clear and that the block added suffice cover. However now, he couldn't help but feel annoyance, her words still lingering in the back of his mind as he stood up, grunting when his wound strained against the movement before he turned his back towards the Huntress, and started walking away.

"Is it Olkar?," Orion paused, "I wasn't deaf to the conversation you know? I heard you cursing them out in Eliksni. Well, I think you cursed them out from your tone of voice. Kind of hard to understand when you don't know a language."

Letting out a snort, the Exo Titan then heard Gemini approach, hearing her pause next to him as she added, "You are not the only one who misses him you know? The others and I hope and pray that things will fix themselves and that we'll see Olkar again." He then felt a hand on his shoulder, "The Clan and I are here if you need us. You can talk to us, Orion. That's how the others and I are getting through this time."

Hearing the sincerity in the female Exo's words, Orion felt his rage slowly melt away, not completely but just enough to let him resume control over his emotions. Letting his shoulders slump, a sigh then escaped Orion's lip, "I guess I owe you and Scorpio an apology."

Turning his gaze towards the female Exo, Orion can sense the sheepish smile behind her visor. This in turn, caused Orion to return the gesture, "Since you're here, let me make amends. I'm sorry."

A pat on the shoulder was Gemini's response, "Apology accepted. But first." Orion watched her remove her hand cannon from her waist, "Let's beat those assholes."

After what seemed to be a long time, a laugh escaped Orion.

Xxxxx

"Clan… Galaxy?" Esther couldn't help but glance around the room quizzically, have in trying to spot the source of the voice echoing the room. The female Hunter wasn't all too surprise to hear the voice call her 'Esther-8'; she did after all, had gone through a memory wipe. What she hadn't expected though was that she was part of the infamous clan, Galaxy, a group comprised of Exo. Like the others, she had heard of the Clan before and had caught a glimpse of several of the Clan members' mark – an alignment of planets circled by stars, just like the cloak she wore over her shoulders. Esther had questioned one of the members – a magenta plated female named Aurora – of her cloaks relationship and all she received was that she had taken up the cloak from a fallen Clan member, apparently having been close friends with them to take their cloak. Although unable to remember 'who' thanks to her memory wipe, Esther had taken it as a satisfactory answer and hadn't given it much thought. At least, not until now.

A high-pitched screech echoed through the air, startling Esther out of her thoughts as the voice chimed, _"Is that Little Light over there?"_

"What?" Esther then glanced around, eyeing the hidden faces of her team before landing onto Ianos', the latter of which she noticed shifted nervously on the edges of his feet before watching him sheepishly rub the back of his neck, "Little Light?"

" _The Guardian you call 'brother',"_ The voice chirped, earning a wide-eyed look from the Huntress, " _I wanted to meet him always but you and Venus always state that he's 'busy'. So, seeing new friends in here, one of them 'had' to be Little Light, so I took a guess."_ A gleeful cry then echoed through the room, " _So am I right?"_

Bewilderment settled into the back of the female Exo's mind, glancing back at Ianos and then back at the room before opening her mouth to respond.

"Yes, you are correct."

Esther snapped her gaze back towards Ianos, her green optics wide as the voice let out a resounding squeal.

" _I knew it!"_ Esther swore if they had a physical form, the voice would have been jumping for joy, " _I have always wanted to meet you, Little Light? Tell me, what do you like to do? What do you do when Venus and Esther is not around? Do you hang around with the other Clan members? Or do you have other Fireteams that you hang around with?"_

It was both puzzling and amusing to Esther to see Ianos tilt his head slightly, his rigid shoulders and silence taken as someone who was completely taken off guard. Nonetheless, the Huntress had only a short amount of time to take this in before Ianos' shoulders relaxed, fixing his gaze as he responded, "The name Little Light is usually used by those I consider 'family'. However, you may call me Ianos, mister… miss…?"

" _My name is A.I.P!"_ Esther can sense the pride in their voice, " _Artificial Intelligence Prime! Or just Prime for short! Very nice to meet you, Guardian Ianos. And who are those with you? More friends?"_

Listening to the others step up and introduce themselves, Esther couldn't help but let a smile form on her metallic features, hearing the clicks of her Ghost echo through her helmet.

"Although it is nice to see Prime again, it is strange to see others besides you and Venus talking with them." Esther paused at Vulcan's words, "Usually it is just the two of you within this very room, talking hours on end before you have to end your 'patrol'."

"So, what Prime says is true then?" The Huntress heard Vulcan's clicks pause, "That I know them? Or least 'had'? And that I came in here with an individual named Venus? Just who is this 'Venus." Esther paused, "Vulcan?"

"I shouldn't have said anything," The Ghost muttered through her helmet, "Me and my big mouth."

Frowning behind her visor, Esther clenched and unclenched her grip around her hand cannon, gritting her jaw as questions build up in her mind. Although tempted to further question her Ghost, Esther decided against it; she cannot question him now, at least not here. But she 'will' get answers later. Letting this linger in the back of her mind, Esther turned her focus towards Ianos, watching gesture his hands back and forth between the room and the others, as if being able to physically see Prime in the room as he spoke.

"This is my Fireteam that you currently see here," Esther heard Ianos state, "Apart from Esther and Spirit, they are just here to fill in the space."

A snort then emanated from the green clad Warlock but Spirit said nothing, instead opted to nod to signal the truth in the Awoken Guardian's words. In response, a hum echoed through the room, " _It is very nice to meet you all. This is nice change to just speaking to Venus-13 and Esther-8."_

No sooner had her name echoed through the room when Esther noticed the demeanor in Ianos change, his shoulders slumping and his grip on his weapon going slack, clearly sensing hesitation from the older Guardian, "There is something you must know about Esther, Prime."

Blinking behind her visor, it took the female Hunter only seconds for the Warlock's words to click, quickly making her decision to continue as Prime voiced, " _Oh? What is it? Did something happen to her?"_

It was then a dry laugh escaped the male Warlock, startling all those present, especially those parts of Fireteam Redacted, Esther easily reading their shocked expressions even with their features hidden. Although just as quickly as it began, it ended, prompting the male Awoken to add, "You have heard of memory wipes, Prime?"

" _Of course,"_ Prime chirped, " _I am, after all, in charge of 'memories' for Exo."_

Silence then permeated through the room, Esther sensing the bewildered and shocked stares strengthen behind the Guardians' visor, although the shock just did not just stick with them. Esther's green optics had widen behind her visor, her jaw hanging open at Prime's words.

"I-I beg your pardon?" It was Spirit who managed to find his voice first, "What do you mean, you are in 'charge' of memories for Exo?"

Another hum echoed through the room, " _Well not necessarily 'memories', more like 'personalities' or giving Exo 'life'. That is what the scientists explained to me anyway."_

"So, you create Exo?" Another hum answered Esther's question.

" _I do not 'physically' create Exo, if you can understand,"_ The Huntress couldn't help but blink at Prime's answer, " _…The silence that I am gaining must mean it is not a satisfactory answer. Let me explain. As you know, Exo were created in the image of humanity, right down to being even intake nutrients, such as their creators intended. However, despite their accomplishments, Exo still need a 'basic program' in order to function and their bodies were too complicated for individual humans to properly give them a program. As such, I was created."_

"So, you created our personalities?"

" _More like your 'programming',"_ Prime hummed out, " _For example, Carina-23. Thanks to her short stature but broad build, I would have given her the program of a soldier to flank enemy lines and ambush them. Spirit-9, for his lanky build, would have been put on the side as a medical Exo or an Archivist. And you, 'Esther-9', would have been programmed for reconnaissance, thanks to your light build."_

"So, we were just emotionless machines when we started out?" Esther turned her gaze towards Carina, watching the female Titan's grip on her weapon tighten as her question left her lips, "We felt nothing?"

Prime let out another hum, " _Perhaps. I am not quite sure."_

Esther paused, "What do you mean you're not quite sure?"

" _As I have said before, my function is to insert an Exo's programming. All the humans do is bring in the Exo, powered down, and I transfer their programming into their system. Not long after my function is completed, they will carry the Exo out before they regain consciousness. I am not quite sure how they function 'after' they are activated."_

"You never question their motives?"

A silence then permeated through the air, causing all the Guardians to shift nervously; Esther couldn't help but feel like she had asked the wrong question, proven when the buzzing of the lights broke the still air.

" _I was not as… 'emotional' back then."_ Prime finally spoke, " _As with every…'machine', I was just a simple 'program', a blank slate. All I knew back then was to give each individual Exo a task and then move onto the next one."_

"What changed?"

" _Time,"_ Esther reeled back from Prime's response, " _Time to look at my surroundings. Time to observe the humans. Time to learn."_

"Time?" It was Spirit who asked, "So you gained sentience through time?"

As a hum echoed through the room to confirm the green Exo's question, that's when something clicked within the Huntress's mind, the itch at the back of her mind finally dissipating as it hit Esther, "Wait, you said that you created 'tasks' for Exo then? That means you were created back in the Golden Age. How did you survive the Collapse?"

Instantly another hum echoed through the room however, unlike the cheery ones that Esther had heard before, this one was more forlorn, melancholic, " _So, you really did have a memory wipe then, Esther? Otherwise, you would have known the answer."_

Frustration immediately set into the back of Esther's mind not long after Prime's answer, her hands wringing against the handle of her hand cannon. True, Esther had accepted that she had taken a memory wipe willingly but she will be lying to herself if she said that she was not curious of the memories from her previous 'life'. She had tried forcing that curiosity and frustration down throughout her years as 'Esther-9' but after meeting Prime, that curiosity came flooding back, irritating her like an itch she cannot reach.

" _For your friends, I shall answer,"_ Esther perked up at A. I's words, " _It was coincidence really. One of the humans had decided to add some 'upgrades' to my systems, and as such, had shut me down in order to ensure they install 'properly'. Then the next thing I knew, I awoken to a deserted room, the elements having taken over. It was not after that I met you and Venus."_

Soaking in the information, Esther couldn't help but once again let curiosity flood the back of her mind and with many questions buzzing in her head, she decided to let one question slip, "Who is this Venus? I keep hearing about this individual but who are they?"

Immediately, the Exo Huntress heard Vulcan sputter in her helmet, hearing him stutter as he attempted to speak. Hearing her Ghost start, Esther quickly opted tune him out as she heard Prime let out another hum.

" _That wipe really have taken 'all' your memory, hasn't it?"_ Esther blinked at Prime's answer, " _You and Venus were close, close to the point that if one or the other dies, the other would have followed soon after."_

Once again, the female Hunter blinked at Prime's answer, " _The two of you always seem to be together everytime I see you, holdings hands, or carrying each other if you encounter hostiles. It was always…intimate."_

No sooner had Prime finished speaking when Vulcan finally paused in Esther's helmet, signaling to the female Hunter that the A.I spoke true. As such, Esther couldn't help but piece the information together, her conclusion only to be confirmed when Prime finally finished, " _To make it easier to understand, you two were lovers."_

Even though Esther had expected it, she couldn't help but let shock overwhelm her systems, to the point where she heard her weapon clatter to the floor, a sign that she had lost her grip on the hand cannon.

" _How about the name Esther?"_

" _Why that?"_

 _She heard a laugh resound in her auditory sensors, "Well, besides the fact that it is a better name than 'eight', it also means 'star'."_

" _Geez, I know that we are naming this clan 'Galaxy' but still-"_

" _Not because of the Clan name." She then watched as he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers, causing her to give the yellow Exo a bewildered look, "For me, you shine brightly, your laughter lighting up as the star does the sky, and 'you', are my 'star'."_

Esther shook her head, her form teetering back and forth as she placed a hand on her head.

"Esther!"

Snapping to attention, the female Hunter turned her attention towards Ianos, the latter of which she can see had taken several steps towards her, hand raised out in concern.

" _Little brother!" She laughed as the Warlock let out a cry of surprise as the yellow Exo launched himself towards him, only to keel over when Little Light reached out and slammed his palm into the male Hunter's chest, watching him perform a flip into the air before landing back onto the ground with a resounding 'oof'._

"Little…Light?"

She was surprised at her own words, teetering back and blinking several times behind her visor, however, she can tell that Ianos was more taken aback. The way his hand just dropped to his side and his shoulders squaring out, Esther can tell that he was more shocked than her of hearing his supposed 'name'.

" _You sure you do not want a 'real' name, Little Light?" She can easily sense the narrowed glance behind his visor, watching him pause from polishing his weapon, "I mean, you don't let others call you Little Light and I highly doubt you don't like being called 'Guardian' by others." It was then she can see the intensity of his shoulders slack, a sigh escaping behind his helmet, "We don't have to choose a name 'now'."_

" _Fine," She can hear the defeated tone in his voice, "But only you 'and' Venus can pick out the name."_

" _What?" She gave him a bewildered look, "Why? Why can't we include Sun and the others into this?"_

" _Because they already chose the nickname 'Little Light'." She blinked, "Anyway, you and Venus always have 'bright' ideas, I am confident that you two will choose a nice name for me."_

"Ianos?" Esther called out, feeling herself lean back in a daze, "Little Light? ...and Ianos?"

" _Ianos?" She heard him hum carefully, giggling as Venus shifted back and forth on the back of his feet nervously, "Catchy. What does it mean?"_

" _Well," She smiled at Venus' nervousness, "There are a few translations but the main reason why we chose it is because it means 'Favored by God'."_

 _That's when she saw him pause, his orange hues flickering behind his lids in surprise before he let out a snort, "Is it because we were chosen by this 'Traveler'?"_

" _It is because of what you had been through," She watched Little Light pause at Venus' words, "You had went through the Darkness and back. Only one blessed by a god can stay strong in those kinds of situations."_

 _Watching him blink again, she watched Little Light glance over his shoulder to his Ghost, the black and orange form all too familiar to the Huntress before the Awoken Warlock turned his focus back to the two Hunters, "It is acceptable."_

 _She then laughed._

Esther had long placed both of her hands on her helmet, reeling from the memories flooding back. How or why, she does not understand, but all she knows is that her mind was trying to push the memories back or at least, 'skim' through them as if in an attempt to defend itself.

" _Oh come on Esther, it's a simple walk through the City." She then felt his hand grasp hers gently, "They just built a new sector, Little Light and I are curious is all."_

 _Though hearing confidence in his words, she couldn't help but let worry tug at the back of her mind. This wasn't their first excursion to the City but somehow, for some strange reason, she cannot shake the feeling that something was going to go awry, "I just have a feeling that the citizens down there will do something…brash."_

 _His laugh did little to comfort her._

" _Don't worry, I highly doubt the humans will attack 'two' Soldiers of Light out on a stroll, even with all this anti-human mumbo jumbo going on." She watched his optics soften as he reached out with one hand and caressed her cheek, "We'll be fine, I promise."_

The memory again. The one she had before they had entered the archives. However, unlike before, this one rang clearly, the image vivid in her mind as she heard her Ghost call her name several times in her helmet. However, her audio receptors were mainly deaf to her surroundings, any words calling out to her muffled.

 _She shoved her way through the crowd, her green optics wide as they fell upon a body. Despite the claims of Exo having sturdier bodies than organics, the body in front of her clearly had been decimated, the indents in the sheet covering the body showing signs of missing parts; said parts were placed near the side of the body, pieces of limbs and wires stacked on top of each other. Despite this, she clearly recognizes the cloak that they had draped over the face, the familiar symbols and planets and stars clear in her mind._

 _A cry escaped her lips as she forced her way through, easily shoving past those who had tried to guard her way as she draped herself over the body._

" _Venus?" She whispered, pressing her hands around what she believed to be his face, "Venus? Venus!?"_

 _She let out another anguished cry as she buried her face into his chest, ignoring the stained sheets as she continued to cry out in sorrow. She felt hands pat her on the shoulders followed by words of condolences, but she slowly tuned them out as she mourned. Not long after, something clicked within the female Exo's mind and she snapped up, her green optics quickly spotting the stilled form of Little Light._

 _His face pale and his orange hues wide in shock, she can see that he had been beaten and battered, the way his armor was torn and dirtied as if he had struggled for his life. The Awoken Guardian was also held his right arm in a death grip, as if to stop a wound that had long ago healed. He was leaning against the rails for support, the familiar black and orange shell of his Ghost hovering nearby as the Guardian stared blankly ahead, his gaze phasing past the crowd that had gathered near the entrance to the Tower._

" _Ianos," She let his new name flow from her lips as she tore herself away from the body, crawling towards the frozen Awoken, "Ianos. Little Light." She then grasps the front of his coat in her hands, watching him blink several times before focusing his gaze straight into her optics, "What happened, Little Light?"_

 _Instead of an immediate answer, she watched his eyes widen and his breathing hitched, his shoulders going rigid as she shook him, "What happened, Little Light? What happened?!"_

 _Once again, she gained no answer, but she paused when she saw tears form in his eyes as his lower lip trembled before a sob escaped him, prompting the Huntress to release her grip. Her hands dropping into her lap, the anguish within her chest faded only to be filled by a void, an emptiness that Esther cannot comprehend. Turning her gaze back towards the body, the Huntress then saw the familiar shattered pieces of a Ghost's shell laid next to Venus' side, the once brilliant yellow and orange shell of Neith now lie broken._

" _They killed him," She snapped her attention back onto the Awoken Guardian, "We were just talking as we walked and they just jumped us from behind. We didn't even see them coming."_

" _Who?" She grasped the front of his coat once more, "Who killed him?"_

 _Tears were now falling freely from his eyes now, watching the Awoken once more fixate his gaze into her optics, "The humans."_

"Esther?"

Snapping out of her recovering memories, the Huntress saw the familiar darkened visor of Spirit, the green clad Exo having reached out and touched her shoulder out of concern, "Esther, are you alright?"

Instead of responding immediately, Esther felt the bottom of her jaw tremble and when she tried to part her mouth to speak, a sob instead escaped her.

 _Rage had bubbled within her chest as she stomped out onto the balcony, ignoring the footsteps of her fellow Hunter trail behind her as she slammed her hands onto the rails._

" _Why would the Vanguard let this slide!?" She leaned over the rails, her green optics glaring down at the streets below, seeing the familiar forms of civilians travel below them, "They murdered him for Traveler's sake!"_

 _Instead of an immediate response, she watched from the corner of her optics as Pluto leaned against the rails with her, following her gaze towards the bustling people below, "The humans cried 'accidental death', claiming that they were fooling around with a tool and –"_

" _And the Vanguard believed it!?" She spat, snapping her gaze towards her fellow Exo as she added, "What about the Consensus!? The Speaker!?"_

 _The Huntress watched as Pluto lifted his red optics towards her, a heavy sigh escaping his lips, "They took the humans side."_

 _Her rage boiled, "Bullshit!"_

" _Believe me, Esther, I am just as upset as you are." She turned her narrowed gaze back towards the traveling people below as Pluto continued, "For Darkness sake, the rest of the Clan is upset as well. Sun is speaking to the Speaker and the others as we speak."_

 _Her grip tightening on the rails, the female Hunter grinded her jaws together, "I thought they were supposed to be on our side. I thought that they would believe us! Especially since we're out there everyday risking our asses while they sit back and stay safe and sound in their little offices like cowards they are!" She once again snapped her gaze back towards Pluto, "Is it because we're Exo? Is it because we are metal and wires instead of flesh and bone?"_

 _Silence permeated between the two, the Huntress watching as Pluto fixated his gaze below, "I can't answer that for you, Esther, you know this."_

 _A sob escaped her throat followed by a strained laugh, "I… I cannot handle this. I cannot believe…" She paused, pushing herself off the rails, "Pluto, I want to forget it all. I don't want to remember him anymore."_

 _Pluto's reaction was instantaneous, his gaze snapping towards her, his red optics wide, "Esther, what are you saying?" He pushed himself away from the rails, "You know as well as I do that we took on a vow to never undertake a memory wipe once we entered the Clan."_

" _Then I am leaving it!" Esther responded within a heartbeat, hesitation absent in her voice, "Start a new life as a new Guardian here at the Tower. At this so called 'City'. Be naïve of the so called 'leaders' betrayal to the Clan."_

"… _Esther…why would…"_

 _The Huntress can see the hurt in the male Exo's eyes, his red optics seemingly dimming as he took in her words. Nonetheless, the female Exo was fixated on her decision, "I cannot go on without him. I cannot go on without Venus." She felt her throat tighten, grief once again filling her senses; is this what the organics go through when losing a loved one? "But I also cannot neglect my duties as a Guardian to the last remnants of 'humanity'. Despite what the humans had done to Venus, there are others out there who deserve protection, those who are like Little Light."_

 _She watched as Pluto paused at her words, watching the male Hunter reach out with one hand on the rail as if to steady himself, disbelief clear in his gaze, "… You know as well as I do that if you go through this, the Clan and I cannot make contact with you? And that you cannot make contact with Little Light?"_

 _At the mention of the Clan and her 'sibling', the Huntress visibly flinched, her hands curling into fists at the notion. Clan Galaxy had been her only family as long as she had been resurrected, back when they had used their numbers as 'names' in order to identify each other before finally finding a name for themselves. Plus, Little Light, the only organic 'sibling' she has in her life. He had witness the murder of Venus, how will he react to her wiping her memory, in turn, effectively 'killing' her as well?_

" _I won't remember you, so it won't matter," She forced the words out, taking in a deep breath. The Huntress just hopes that both the Clan and Little Light will forgive her, "Just inform the Vanguard. The Speaker. The Consensus or whoever is in power. Tell them to ensure that you and the others should not make contact with me. So please, Pluto." Her shoulders then sagged, grief once again settling into her chest, "Let me wipe my memory."_

"I'm sorry," Esther blurted out, watching the others reel back at her sudden apology, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to abandon you. I didn't want to but…"

" _Why would you do this!?" Rage can be clearly seen in his orange hues, tears streaking from his eyes as he grasped the front of her armor, "Why would you be willing to wipe your own memories!?" His rage suddenly shifted to one of guilt, "Was it because I was there and I couldn't protect him? Is that it?"_

 _Reeling back at his words, the Huntress wrapped her fingers delicately around his hands, "No, I-"_

" _Then why!?" She felt him shake her once, "Why are you going through this wipe!? Is this an excuse to leave the Clan?! Are you running away!?"_

" _No!"_

" _Then you just want to abandon us then!?" She paused at Little Light's words, "Are you abandoning the Clan!? Are you abandoning me!?" She then felt him pull her closer, their faces almost touching, "Are you abandoning Venus!?"_

 _Her optics wide at his words, the Huntress repeatedly opened and closed her jaw, unable to form words as once again, the Warlock's rage flashed into his eyes._

" _So, that's it, huh?" She felt his grasp leave the front of her armor, easily sliding his wrists out of her grip, "Fine then." The Warlock turned his back towards her, "Goodbye, Esther."_

"I'm sorry," She repeated again, her optics flickering around the room, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to abandon you. I didn't want to, but…" Another sob escaped her, "But I just didn't want to remember."

* * *

 _There we go! ^_^  
Hopefully this answers a lot of questions! :D_

 _I had planned to add more but to avoid making chapters too long, if the word counts hits 6k, I have to end the chapter. Which in turns, makes the story longer than I had intended lol_


	49. For the Best

_**Tormented**_

 _ **For the Best**_

 _That moment where you're like 'huh, the title of this chapter sounds familiar' and you look back and the title is almost exactly the same except for 'one' word...ahahaha. Anyways, I apologize for the lack of update last week. Stuff came up and I figured out my eyes are straining a lot so that means NEW GLASSES! So updates might be late/slow until I get new glasses and get adjusted to them. Ahahaha being blind sucks!_

 _Thanks to Guest number 1, Guest number 2, and zantilis_ _for the reviews!_

 _ Guest Number 1 - Thank you! ^_^_

 _ Guest Number 2 - Oh! Thanks! :D. I always found my chapters cheesy so hearing this makes me feel a lot better about it lol_

 _ zantilis \- oh yay! It's nice to hear that! Hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of the story!_

* * *

Even though she had willingly took on the title, Ixrsis had always found it strange that someone such as herself is Kell. Not because she was a female, females had power by the time she was born, however, it was her age that bothered her. When other Eliksni take up the mantle of Kell, they had 'years' of experience shadowing behind them, giving them the knowledge to properly lead a House. Despite her now towering form, the female Eliksni is a couple of decades old and that was a rough estimate. And here, her people were expecting her to give them her 'wisdom'.

" _Relocation is imperative!"_ One of the Eliksni shouted, " _With our location exposed to two Guardians, it would not take long before our position is compromised!"_

" _Who says that they will reveal us!?"_ Another snarled, " _The Guardians have shown us respect, respect we haven't seen in 'years'! They gave us food, supplies, and ether when we had needed it most!"_

" _Then explain the deaths of those scouts! They fired at them without a second thought and now they are trying to phase over their deaths as if it is nothing!"_

They were all gathered in the main square of their location, which was settled in a building set up with a single throne where Ixrsis can be seated and easily tune in on what others have to say. Usually, Ixrsis only sits here for a couple of hours, mainly to hear complaints of what was occurring around the house before she sets off to perform other tasks but now, she sits to make the decision to either relocate or stay in their current position.

And Ixrsis isn't pleased on making either decision.

The current location they are settled within boasts a place safe from the elements and a perfect defensive position if they were to be attacked. However, Ixrsis understands her people's fear of their location being compromised; she knows clearly well that there are plenty of Guardians who still held a strong distaste towards the Eliksni, to the point where Ixrsis knows they won't hesitate to wipe them off the map. There was a reason why Pure One was the only one privy of their location. But relocation also holds risks. They have to abandon the home that had taken years to accomplish and to start anew and, from what her people are saying, without the aid of the Guardians. The only reason they were to quickly finish their current home was thanks to the Soldiers of Lights aid but without it, who knows how long that will take? Not to mention their exposure to rival Houses and if her child, Tenshi, can survive the move. How are they going to move a young Eliksni while ensuring they are sustained with life giving Ether?

" _So, you think that we can just pick up and leave?"_ Ixrsis heard another Eliksni growl, " _You say it as though it is easy. What makes you think that we can survive this move without an Archon?"_

Hearing Sirahks being mentioned, Ixrsis' shoulders slumped, leaning back in her seat as murmurs echoed through the room. Although the clash within the House had just ended, the news of Sirahks' death spread quickly and by the time the meeting was called, almost every member is aware of the Archon's death. As per custom, the Archon is not only the guard to the Prime Servitor (or Servitors in the House of Spirits case) but they are also the Guard to the Kell. Without the Archon, who is going to protect the precious supply of Ether? Who is going to protect the pillar of the House? Even with Ixrsis alive, without an Archon, the House was still vulnerable. How are they going to move without protection? It seems all the odds of moving was against them.

" _But without an Archon, we are also vulnerable staying here."_ Another Eliksni piped up, " _If those two Soldiers of Light reveal our location, then we are just as exposed if we are to relocate."_

" _Lady Ixrsis,"_ The female Kell jumped in her seat, " _What course of action do you believe is the best in our current situation."_

Blinking several times, Ixrsis turned her attention towards Vellak, the Scribe Captain leaning against his staff next to her throne, his rumbling clear in her ears. From the tone of his voice, she can tell that he was concerned, worried of their current problem. And she cannot blame him. The House was in trouble no matter what solution they choose and to make matters worse, not the entirety of the House will accept either decision. It seems very likely that a faction might break off if they are not satisfied with the solution. Letting out a sigh, Ixrsis once again leaned back in her seat, scanning the curious faces of those present.

" _What about Pure One?"_ Ixrsis snapped her attention towards Axtris, the female Vandal have taken the seat just at the foot of the throne, " _He helped secure this alliance with the Guardians, it is only fair that he knows of our current situation, relocation or not."_

Almost immediately, a scoff can be heard from one of the others present, " _He is one of the Soldiers of Light. He maybe our ally now but he will turn on us when things turn sour his side."_

Taking in her fellow Eliksni's words, the female Kell's four eyes narrowed, a low snarl escaping her lips before she can stop herself. Despite her attempt to contain it, this caught the attention of the Eliksni who had spoken, the latter of which cowered away from her growls.

" _Have you already forgotten what he had done for us?"_ Ixrsis spat, causing several Eliksni present to murmur under their breaths, " _without him, we would not have this home. We would not have supplies. And we would have not have had freedom if it not were for him."_ Straightening up in her seat, the female Kell added, " _So give me a reason why I should not get Pure One involved with this decision?"_

When silence permeated through the room in response to her question, Ixrsis let out a scoff as she leaned back in her seat, her anger slowly subsiding.

" _For his protection."_

Instantly perking up in her seat once more, Ixrsis snapped her gaze around the room until she fell upon the familiar scoped eye of Inkolas, the latter of which had taken a seat next to Axtris, the female Vandal having turned and gave him a wide eye stared.

" _Protection?"_ Ixrsis couldn't help but narrow her four eyes at the Splicer, " _How is leaving him out of this situation for his protection?"_

" _From being a pariah,"_ The female Kell recoiled from the Splicer's words, " _As some of those who had spoken, there are those amongst the Soldiers of Light that do not completely agree with the alliance. Now imagine the impact this would have on Pure One. True he has his 'pack', but I would imagine his relationships with other Soldiers of Light would be strained, especially since he is the meditator between his people and ours. If we leave him out of this decision, it would have a less impact on him and our House would slowly learn how to be more dependent."_

" _But if we stay, wouldn't he still be impacted?"_ It was Axtris who asked the question, letting out low rumble as she tilted her head in curiosity, " _He checks up on us on as often as he can. If he figures out the trouble that had occurred here, wouldn't he still be involved?"_

" _As such, a reason to relocate."_ Ixrsis watched as the female Vandal reeled back from Inkolas' words, " _If we relocate, we will still have contact with Pure One and if we do need supplies, there can be a meeting point. However, all in all, contact with the Soldiers of Light will be at a minimum and House of Spirits will be less dependent on their help._ " Ixrsis then watched as Axtris reached over and tapped the Splicer on the shoulder, catching his attention. Watching the male Eliksni tilt his head in bewilderment, Inkolas then let out a low rumble, and Ixrsis then saw Axtris hesitate before she let out a single nod, enabling the Splicer to finish, " _And Pure One will be able to reintegrate back amongst the other of Soldiers of Light."_

Ixrsis fixated her gaze on the Splicer, her four eyes unblinking as she watched not Inkolas, but Axtris shift nervously on her feet. Although she hated to admit it, the Splicer's words ring true; the female Kell recalls the human Hunter always visiting the House of Spirits during the days he is off duty or even sometimes drops by whenever a task was nearby. She remembers him telling stories of accidentally speaking in Eliksni tongue to Guardians outside of his circle, sometimes earning a bewildered look or immediately spat upon by his peers. Pure One was use to Eliksni society, and being surrounded by those who holds strong emotions against her people, Ixrsis knows that eventually, he will bump into a Guardian who won't just stand idly by and let him wander.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ixrsis pressed a hand to her face, sensing the bewildered stares from those present.

" _We shall hold a vote,"_ She lowered her hand, " _and we shall come to a decision from there."_

Xxxxx

The memory of that day was still clear to Ianos, when both he and Venus were attacked by the citizens during their excursion to the City. It was a group of men, all holding weapons ranging from guns to a simple hammer; apparently, they had thought that was all they needed to take down a pair of Guardians. To anyone who hadn't witnessed the event, it would have seemed highly unlikely, but for Ianos, it was apparent the group of men knew what they were doing. They had greeted the pair as they walked by, making themselves look benign before attacking the Hunter and Warlock when their backs were turned. Having aimed for their heads, both Guardians were easily stunned thanks to the fact that their helmets were absent, the pair having gotten use to walking around without the armor piece. Then the civilians initiated their attack.

They had knocked both Ianos and Venus to the ground, easily leaving them exposed to their blows. Despite remembering the attack, Ianos hardly can recall the damage to himself. He remembers the edges of his vision blurry, feeling his hands constantly being knocked back as he tried to reach out in an attempt to stop the blows. He does remember Venus screaming however, before a resounding bang echoed through the air, followed by silence. Remembering the panic that had set in, Ianos felt the attackers finally leave him, only to witness them reaching out towards Neith, the yellow and orange shell of the Ghost glimmering brightly under the sun's rays. However, that was before one of the humans snatched the small AI out of the air before forcing them to the floor, Ianos screaming out in horror at the hammer in the human's hands. Then with a single blow, the group had effectively ended the life of both Ghost and Guardian. But it wasn't enough for them.

Keeping just enough of their men on Ianos to keep him back, the civilians dismembered Venus' body, spitting at the body as they tore him apart. It was then they talked about doing the same to the Warlock, if it wasn't for the fact that passing Guardians spotted the group, causing the humans to run. But by then, it was too late, the damage had been done, and the best they could do was gather the remnants of Venus' body and his Ghost to bring back for the rest of the Clan to see and mourn.

The look on Esther's face when she saw the draped form of Venus, and her cries made the guilt within his chest build. He had been there, right there, when Venus had been attacked, and although being a Guardian, he was unable to do anything. As such, when he had heard the men had been apprehended, he had hoped they would have been executed for their deeds; in Ianos' mind, it was only fair; an eye for an eye, a life for a life. Or in this case, the lives of several men for the death of a Guardian; a being who had died over and over again to keep them safe. So, hearing of the news that the ruling was 'accidental death' and that all the men received was a year of community service, understandably, both he and the rest of the Clan were outraged; even for an 'accidental death' the group of men literately had been set free.

Debating to take matters into his own hands, Ianos' rage only had been curbed when Neptune got in the way; although the Exo Warlock was angered as well by the ruling, he had convinced Ianos that taking matters in their own hands won't avenge Venus' death but instead, ruin the name of not only the Exo Hunter but the rest of the Guardians as well. As such, Ianos reluctantly let his rage be assuaged however, this rage soon resurfaced when he had heard Esther was not only going to leave the Clan, but also to undertake a wipe.

He felt that she was abandoning them, the Clan, him, but especially Venus. He had seen her seem to be in physical pain during the times when everyone grieved over the Exo Hunter, and he had heard her cries of mourning whenever he was in his quarters. As such, the memory wipe seemed to be an act of betrayal, an attempt to forget those she had cared about and loved, all for the reason she cannot accept Venus' death.

But as time went on, Ianos slowly came to understand why she had decided to undertake the wipe. The ache of a loss will always be there, no matter how long time passes, no matter how hard they try, and no matter how hard they try to forget. As such, Ianos' anger slowly turned to one of envy, envious of Esther being able to seemingly 'move on' from the deaths of those she holds dear, while he still carries the trauma of their deaths. Although, he has to admit, unlike most, Ianos is able to push through with the aid of drugs and Ace, but he knows that not all Guardians handle the memories of their loved one's deaths well. He soon learned that Esther falls into that category.

No sooner had she spewed out her apologies when she started screaming, calling out Venus' name as she stumbled around the room, causing all present to jump at her actions.

"Esther!" Ianos called out as sobs continued to spill forth from the female Hunter, prompting the Warlock to approach her.

This in turn, caused her to scream, "No! Stay away!"

She stumbled away from the male Guardian's arms, cries still echoing behind her helmet as she wrapped her arms around herself, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to abandon all of you but… I'm sorry."

"Esther," The red form of her Ghost materialized over her shoulder, "Esther, it's me. Look at me."

"I'm sorry," Ianos heard Esther whisper, "I'm sorry. The memories of him hurts. Seeing him smiling in my mind while knowing he is dead…it hurts."

The male Awoken watched as she watched her gaze lower to the floor, "Is this what organics go through when they lose a loved one? But I had lost plenty of others. Others of the clan so why does his death…"

More choked sobs can be heard from the Huntress as she staggered over to a wall, placing a hand on it as if to give herself support, "It hurts. Vulcan. It hurts! Make it stop!"

The desperation in her voice was clear to Ianos' ears, and he recognized that tone of desperation that he didn't have to put many pieces together when he saw her stagger over to her fallen weapon on the floor.

"Someone! Stop her!"

From the corner of his vision, Ianos can see the others jump at the sudden volume of his voice, causing them all to glance over at him bewilderedly. Ignoring the stares of his team, Ianos took steps forward, quickly closing the distance between himself and Esther as the female Exo raised the weapon to her head. However, as his grip enclosed around her wrist, the familiar shot of the weapon rang through the air followed by the recoil surging through her hand and into his arm, causing Ianos to immediately pause as the familiar sight of white fluids and broken metal filled his gaze. At first, the female Exo's body stood prone, the male Guardian then saw her body slowly fall from his sight, his grip on her wrist lax enough that it easily slipped out of his grasp. Hearing her body fall forward and hit the floor, Ianos then curled his fingers into a fist, his hand shaking as he staggered back before falling backwards onto the floor.

Hearing Ace call out his name, Ianos instead focused his attention onto Esther's body, the familiar red shell form of Vulcan beaming his light around her, prepping the female Exo for resurrection. Letting his surroundings fall deaf to his ears, the familiar forms of his team filled his vision as Spirit and Angel knelt down to Esther's prone form while as Carina and Aleeza walked over to check up on him. Feeling their hands press against his shoulders, Ianos instead let out a mixture of a sob and a laugh, feeling the comforting gesture quickly leave his senses soon after.

It was a mixture from both disbelief and shock; shock that the Guardian he had called sister fired a bullet into her head and disbelief that she had actually done it. Despite himself, Ianos had no other idea how to react, although he himself had witnessed plenty of self-inflicted shots himself. The Warlock knows well the stresses of being a Guardian; Ianos recalls plenty of occasions where he had turned his own weapon on himself. But no matter how many times he witnesses another Guardian pull a weapon on themselves, a sense of anxiety always seems to form within his chest; it was always the fear that they will fall and never stand, the minutes that his fellow Guardian stay dead only seemingly strengthening this thought until their revival. Despite what others say, this sense of dread never faded from the older Guardian, his eyes fixating on the body until he was sure that the other Guardian will stand once more.

"Ianos. Snap out of it."

The voice of his Ghost finally breaking the silence of his mind, Ianos couldn't help but jump slightly, his shoulders going rigid and his eyes snapping upwards as if to catch the sight of the familiar black and orange Ghost. Instead, his eyes met Aleeza's, the concerned gaze behind her visor hidden as she spoke, "Ianos, you alright?"

Blinking several times to clear the haze in his mind, Ianos turned his attention towards Esther's body, watching as a gasp escaped from behind her helmet, "How is Esther?"

Immediately, the Warlock can sense the concern strengthen from the female Awoken, feeling her grip on his shoulder tighten in reaction to his words. But nonetheless, Aleeza turned her focus towards Vulcan, the red shell Ghost turning his green optic towards them, "I brought her back but…" He hesitated, "She's not conscious."

A sudden cry then filled Ianos' ears, making him realize that he had jumped onto his feet, the edges of his vision catching both Carina and Aleeza recompose themselves, "What?"

"She's not conscious," Vulcan repeated, the Ghost's back fins spinning nervously, "She's 'breathing' but no matter what I do, she's not waking up."

Worry filling up his senses, Ianos quickly approached the prone form of Esther, easily pushing aside Angel and Spirit, the latter of which let out a sound of protest as the male Warlock knelt down. True to Vulcan's words, Esther's chest shifted up and down to signify her life, but as Ianos reached down and enclosed his fingers around hers, he gained no reaction, not a twitch of recognition.

" _Isn't this a thing for lovers?" He deadpanned as he held up his hand, the fingers of the female Exo wrapped around his palm._

 _Instead of an immediate response, Esther laughed, earning her a glower from the male Warlock._

" _What? Embarrassed?" She teased, causing the Awoken to grumble under his breath, "Look, I know I am not your 'type' but I think it's unfair that 'couples' get to hold hands while those in the 'friend zone' can't."_

" _You can't just do this with Venus?"_

" _I want to give my 'siblings' some love too," He heard her laugh as he felt his face heat up from her words, "and I think this is the most appropriate thing to do. Besides hugs of course."_

" _You and physical contact," The male Guardian once again heard her laugh._

"Ianos," The Warlock was once again snapped back into reality by his Ghost's voice, "Focus."

Blinking several times once more behind his helmet, Ianos glanced down at their intertwined fingers, giving the female Exo's palm a single squeeze before reluctantly sliding his hand from hers. The male Warlock had never really been big on physical contact; the closest to affection he ever gave was a pat on the shoulder even back when he was with Fireteam Trinity and when Clan Galaxy was still around. But knowing that Esther had regained her memories, that the chance that his 'sister' can return, the older Guardian wants nothing more than to wrap his arms around her shoulders and welcoming her back. But for now, the fact that she was alive but refusing to awaken should be prioritized first.

"What's her diagnosis?"

"Well," Ianos watched as Vulcan once again twirled his back fins once more, "I am not quite sure…yet." A sigh escaped the male Warlock, "look, I am doing the best I can, alright. But this never happened before, at least, for me. This is the first time that this ever occurred, just…just give me a moment."

" _Give her here."_

All eyes turned towards the core, Ianos giving Prime a quizzical look, "What?"

" _Put her in one of the pods."_ Prime clarified, " _Here, I'll open it for you to make things easier."_

As if on cue, one of the pods lined up against the wall, the one marked with the number '9', hissed open, the hatch slowly sliding outwards. Inside, the inner lining was lined with cushions form fitting to ensure its future occupants are secured and safe within the confines but, tight enough that barely any movement can be given. This of course, didn't escape Ianos' sight.

"Give us a reason why we should trust you." The male Warlock couldn't help but reel back as instead of a retort, the group of Guardians gained a chuckle instead from the AI.

" _You truly are her 'sibling',"_ Ianos can hear the teasing tone in Prime's voice, " _Worrying about her even though she doesn't recall you at all. At least, not until now."_ Static then echoed through the room, as if Prime was clearing their throat, " _You remember how I mentioned that I am in charge of Exo 'programs'? This is the same when they need a 'cleansing'."_

"A what?" Ianos can hear Spirit's voice waver slightly, catching from the corner of his gaze the Exo Warlock shift nervously in his seat, "A 'cleansing'?"

" _Another term for 'wipe',"_ The male Warlock easily saw Carina and Spirit go stiff, their squared shoulders and frozen postures a clear sign of their surprise, " _Oh, do not worry, I can only perform 'wipes' when the Exo are in the pods."_

"And this helps Esther, how?" It was Angel who had asked the question, Ianos momentarily glancing back at the Hunter before fixating his attention back onto Prime's core for an answer.

" _It is clear that she is affected by Venus' death,"_ Prime responded, causing all those present to pause at their answer, " _The memories of her 'beloved' is causing her substantial amount of pain. Perhaps I can clear out those memories to give her solace."_

"Doesn't that require a mass memory wipe?" This time, it was Aleeza who asked, a hint of curiosity tinted in her voice, "Venus was a large part of her life. Plus, what makes this any different from her previous one? What if she remembers again?"

" _No need to worry about that,"_ A mixture of pride and hesitation can be heard in Prime's voice, " _Unlike the wipes from previous times, my wipes are clean and proficient. Once the designated Exo have been given their 'cleansing' from me, there are no relapse, no recalls, just a new slate."_

Hearing this from the large AI, Ianos couldn't help but let doubt linger in the back of his mind, a frown forming behind his visor, "A clean slate? Clean and proficient? How can you be so sure?"

" _Well, that is what my function is, isn't it?"_ A hint of annoyance can be heard in Prime's tone, " _Extraditing programs to Exo and then cleaning them out if they are needed for a new one."_ A hum then escaped the large AI, " _Let's just say, despite the appearance of this 'Traveler, materials are still 'lackluster' and 'recycling' Exo was deemed easier than making new ones. If they wanted a 'fresh' Exo, they have to ensure the cleansing actually does its work."_ Prime then paused, as if waiting for an answer from the group of Guardians. Instead of remarks or questions, Ianos instead heard silence permeate through the air, taking it as a sign that everyone was hesitant to place the female Hunter in the pod.

" _It seems that no one believes me,"_ Disappointment emitted from Prime's voice, " _I understand. However, if you want Esther to awaken, or at least have a chance to, then cleansing her memories will do the trick."_

Letting the AI's words sink in, Ianos still let the doubt linger in the back of his mind. However, glancing back at Esther's prone form, the male Warlock felt like they had no other choice. True, they can just carry Esther back to the Tower, however, with the Vex still outside their door, the chances of making it through with an unconscious Guardian, there was no doubt in Ianos' mind that at least one of them won't make it out.

"How long will the process take?"

"Ianos?"

Turning his gaze towards Carina, Ianos didn't have to see through the female Titan's visor to sense the shock emitting from her, "You really going through this?"

"Have any better ideas?" Ianos retorted, narrowing his orange hues at the female Exo before focusing his attention back onto Esther, scooping her into his arms without waiting for a response from the others.

Pushing himself onto his feet, the male Warlock heard Vulcan's protests echo in this ears however, brushed it off as he marched towards the opened pod. Then without speaking another word, he carefully lowered her in, taking steps back just as the doors slid closed.

" _It should only take a few minutes,"_ Prime remarked, " _My doors can keep the Vex out long enough for the process to finish and then you all can make your escape."_

Feeling the intensity of his shoulders leave, Ianos let out a single nod and letting out a sigh of relief. However, before he can recompose himself, he felt a hand grab him by the shoulder and pulling him back, forcing him to turn around. There, his gaze fell upon Carina's visor, easily sensing the anger boiling behind her helmet.

"Why in the Darkness did you put her in there?" The male Warlock can tell she was speaking through clenched jaws, "Even if this 'Artificial Intelligence Prime' is telling the truth, you are wiping her memories. Like a machine!"

Frowning behind his helmet, Ianos reached up and pulled Carina's grip off from his shoulder, pushing her hand to the side, "What other choice do we have? Carry her through a mob of Vex to the Tower where even if we do make it, that the possibility of her waking up is slim?"

"What makes you think that she won't wake up?"

"Because I know of her relationship with Venus!" Ianos watched the others jump back from his outburst. In turn, the male Warlock ignored them, "The two of them have been together since they were resurrected! They were like two peas in a pod! They always have to be together! Darkness, when I met Esther last before her wipe, I thought she had it together, I thought she was just abandoning us!" Shaking his head as the memory crossed his mind, Ianos then added, "But seeing her the way she just reacted now, she was just holding it in. She took on the wipe so she can live on without the pain of losing her counterpart. But now, with all that memory back, the agony is too much for her. In order for her to avoid the pain, she 'will' stay asleep." He took in a deep breath, "After all, that's what I would have done if I had the choice."

Seeing the female Titan reel back at his words, Ianos then opted to focus his attention back onto the pod, watching the cracks light up as Prime worked, "With her memories of Venus 'and' everyone involved with him gone, and if Prime is correct, it will be permanent. No relapse. No recollections. She will just be a clean slate." His shoulders sagging as his words sunk in, Ianos then added, "Although she will never remember again, that she will never remember her 'family', she will at least be alive and well.'

Letting his words echo through the room, Ianos then paused, waiting for a response from his team; a retort, a remark, the male Warlock expected 'something', however, didn't expect the silence that followed. Taking in the silence as a period of solace, Ianos then reached over and delicately brushed his fingers against the pod that held Esther, watching as the lights steadily beat within and prompting him to let out a sigh in an attempt to break the silence.

" _Why did you bring an organic here?" He watched as a red plated Exo narrowed their gold optics at him, "I thought we agreed this clan are for Exo 'only'."_

" _It is." The Exo next to him frowned, "He is just here for a 'visit'. He won't be around long, just enough to rest and get back on his feet."_

" _He seems well rested to me," Another Exo piped in, violet optics eyeing the Awoken Guardian suspiciously, "Besides, why bring him to our camp when he can easily stay at another. We do not need an 'organic' here."_

 _A frown formed behind his helmet before he turned his orange hues to the Warlock Exo beside him, "I told you, you didn't need to bring me here." He let out a huff, "And it seems I am not wanted here as well."_

 _He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, causing him to turn and lock his gaze with the black plated Exo next to him, "You are staying."_

 _Reeling back at the dark clad Exo's words, the Awoken Guardian heard a laugh beside him, "Pluto, straight forward as always." He then turned his focus back towards the blue Exo, the latter of which gave him a grin, "I advise that you stay. Pluto doesn't take no as an answer once he sets his mind to it." His fellow Warlock then beamed at him, "So remove your helmet and say hi! I bet the others would be more accepting of you if they get to see your face."_

 _Seeing the curious look in the Exo Warlock's optics, the Awoken Guardian easily clicked together that the removal of his helmet is much more than just 'greeting others'. But after turning back and seeing the look of distrust in the group of Exo before him, the male Guardian heaved out a sigh before reaching up and pressing the sealant under his chin, hearing the familiar hiss of the helmet disconnecting from his armor. Then slowly grasping his armor piece in his grasp, he pulled his helmet off, shaking his head to fix any stray azure strands in front of his eyes._

" _An Awoken?" The Guardian fixated his orange hues on another Exo seated inside one of the tents, her green optics wide with curiosity, "An Awoken? Here?"_

 _Annoyance itching at the back of his mind at the female Exo's words, he couldn't help but retort, "Yes, I am. Is something the matter?"_

" _No, no," The female Exo held up her hands and shook her head, "I do not mean to be insulting it is just that…" She hesitated, "There are not many of you. It is just very 'interesting' whenever we do meet one of your kind."_

"' _Exotic' or not, he is still not staying here." The red Exo spat out, his golden optics narrowing at the Awoken Guardian, prompting the male Guardian to do the same, "He is still an 'organic', and organics are not allowed here."_

 _From the corner of his vision, he watched as the blue Exo next to him propped their hands on their hips, sensing the glare emitting from the Warlock, "Just because we are treated 'differently' by other organics doesn't mean we can do the same to them. Who knows?" The Guardian then sensed the Exo turn and give him a smile, "He might be different."_

 _A scoff then emitted from the red Exo, "We'll see about that. Wait until Sun gets here and sees this. They won't accept this. They won't let him stay."_

" _He's staying."_

 _All eyes turned towards the entrance of the camp, an orange clad Exo walking in as a gold and crimson Ghost hovered over their shoulder. No sooner had the Exo Titan's words echoed through the camp when the red Exo let out a sputter, their jaw hanging open in shock, "Sun, you can't be serious. He's-"_

" _He is a guest and will be staying." The Exo turned and narrowed their yellow optics at the red Exo, "Understand me, Mars?"_

 _Watching the red Exo reel back and grumble under his breath, the Warlock couldn't help but let a sense of smugness flash in his chest, but that quickly burned away when Sun slowly approached them, watching their optics scan up and down when they came to a pause._

" _You have a name, Guardian?"_

 _Blinking several times, the Awoken Warlock shook his head, "Not that I can currently recall." He then shrugged, "It matters not, however. My duties come first before my name."_

 _To the Guardian's surprise, Sun let out a snort but as he waited for a response, the Exo Titan instead turned and walked away, causing the nameless Guardian to give the leader of the Clan a bewildered look._

 _A laugh soon interrupted his thoughts, "Well, looks like you're good to stay!" The male Guardian turned his orange hues towards the blue Exo, the latter of which beamed brightly at him, "and here I thought Sun would have just kicked you out."_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Since you're staying, allow me." Jumping at the new voice joining in on the conversation, the Warlock shifted his attention forward, only to recognize the female Exo from earlier; beside her, stood a Hunter clad in yellow, the latter of which gave him a cheerful smile as he let out a slight wave._

 _Shifting his attention back onto the female Hunter, he watched as the latter of which held out a hand towards him, "The name is Esther-8, it is very nice to meet you."_

It was strange, how back then many of the members greeted him with suspicion and distrust, only to eventually warm up to him and accept him as one of their own years later; but even then, Ianos tries his best to honor their memory, they were his first 'family' after all. Recalling how he had first met Esther and the others, the male Warlock couldn't help but curl his hands into fists; despite wanting his 'sister' back, he knew this was for the best. If he wants her to at least function 'normally', then he has to accept that she is gone, despite what his emotions are telling him.

"Do you guys hear that?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ianos twirled around as a loud banging sound resounded through the room, causing everyone present to shift their attention towards the closed entrance. Another bang echoed through the room, and this time, everyone saw the door shake.

"Uh, Prime?" Spirit tentatively called out, "You can see outside of the entrance, right?"

" _Uh, yeah,"_ Ianos can hear Prime's tone shift nervously, " _The Vex are banging on the door but it's ones I've never seen before."_

"What do you mean?" Aleeza asked.

" _They look like those things you call Minotaurs?"_ A small hum emitted from the large AI, " _Except larger? Bulkier? From there size, possibly ever stronger?"_

"Praetorians? Here?" Hearing Spirit's conclusion, Ianos couldn't help but let out a curse, startling the younger Guardians.

"What?" It was Carina, "They're just Vex, we can just punch their core in."

Ianos turned and narrowed his gaze at the female Titan, "Praetorians are an advanced version of Minotaurs. They deal massive amount of damage with a single shot from their Torch Hammer. It has been said that only three is needed to take down a single Guardian. Do the math."

Seeing the female Exo pause at his words, Ianos then focused his attention on the Exo Warlock, watching the latter's hands shake around the grip of his weapon; it was no doubt that his fear of the Vex will once again place the team in danger. Not to mention Esther still being 'cleansed' in the pod. Gritting his teeth together, Ianos then shifted his attention towards the large AI, "Prime, how much longer?"

" _A couple of more minutes,"_ Another resounded bang echoed through the room, " _Although at the rate they're going, I don't think we have that much time."_

Grinding his teeth together, Ianos turned and shifted his attention back to the door, watching as the metal bend and shifted against the approaching Vex.

"Time for a fight, eh?"

Blinking several times, Ianos turned his attention towards Aleeza, watching as the latter of which checked her pulse rifle for rounds before snapping the clip back into place, "Let's give Esther some time."

Watching the others nod in agreement, the male Warlock couldn't help but heave out a sigh as he reached over to his waist and removed his sidearm from his holster. It seems they have no other choice but to fight.

* * *

 _Yes, I know cliffhanger but the word count was hitting 6k and you know the rules? Have to stop around 6k so chapters won't be hella long lol. Anyways, see you next week!...hopefully ;u;_


	50. A Way Out

_**Tormented**_

 _ **A Way Out**_

 _I know. Late update. You know, life takes up so much of your time, it seems like even updating weekly is hard to accomplish lol.  
_

 _Thanks to Lazypersons and PashHanin for the reviews!_

 _ Lazypersons \- A good human will appear in the story, I promise lol. Just might not be who you are expecting C:_

 _ PashHanin \- Oh! Thank you! ^_^ _

* * *

It was a coincidence.

Not long after the meeting with the Speaker, Pluto had decided to seek out an old friend of his, one that he hadn't contacted in several years. There are a couple of reasons for this; one being is that his old friend is a Hunter and like most of the caped Guardians, he is prone to working alone and has an obsession with the Wilds. In fact, if the Exo Hunter can recall correctly, this friend of his hasn't returned to the Tower in 'years', having all but sent white noise to signify his alliance with the Soldiers of Light, much like what Pluto had done during his own absence. The other reason why he hadn't made much contact with his friend was his fellow Hunter's current focus on his research: the reparation of Ghosts.

His fellow Hunter, Zeno, is a rare Guardian for the reason he was able to maintain 'most' (in Pluto's opinion) his sanity and is able to make it out on the Wilds on his own despite the fact that he had lost his Ghost years previously. The absence of his Ghost is the main reason of his obsession on finding a way to repair the small AI; be it for minor injuries or life threatening ones, and he claims it is for the reason that future Guardians will not have to face the loss of their life long partners. As such, this was one of the reasons why Pluto kept in contact with Zeno.

With Nix's blindness, Pluto had hoped Zeno will find a way to fix his Ghost's sight; although he knows that such a progress may take a while, even 'years', but if there is even a small chance to fix Nix, the Exo Hunter will take it. As such, he had contacted Zeno in an attempt to check up on progress and ironically, the Ghostless Hunter had taken up base on the very same planet that the members of Fireteam Redacted and Blaze are currently stationed on: Venus.

As such, it was a coincidence that he now stands in the marsh of Venus, his optics offline and Nix hovering next to his shoulder, sending out continuous scans to give Pluto visionary access to their surroundings.

In usual meetings, Pluto would have turned his optics online in order to greet old comrades in arms or to imprint the face of newcomers into his mind; however, for Zeno, he made an exception. For good reason.

No sooner had the Exo Hunter had reached the meeting point in one of the more isolated marshes of Venus when his auditory sensors caught the familiar wisps of a cloak rushing through the air and the rush of footsteps quickly approaching from behind. Without skipping a beat, Pluto twirled around and caught the wrist of his attacker, feeling the familiar weight of the knife held in his hands before the Exo reached up with the other hand, wrapped it around the wrist of his assailant, turned and pressed his back against chest of the person behind. Then with little to no effort, he flipped his attacker onto the wet hearth, hearing the latter let out a single yelp in response. As if on cue, Pluto's optics turned online.

Below Pluto, is another Hunter, dressed in dark gray armor, this made it hard to see the dark fungus like material pulsating on the side of his visor if it wasn't for the veins of fire flickering through the black mass; a large sign that the Hunter is affiliated with Solar Light. As his fellow Hunter shifted beneath him, the runes around his wrists seems to pulsate alongside with his movement, as if protesting against the tight grip on their master's wrists.

Normally, in this kind of situation, Pluto would have easily unsheathed his knife and drove it into the neck of the Hunter below him. However, he recognizes the Guardian and as such, Pluto couldn't help but shake his head at his comrade in arms' attempt of his attack, "Zeno."

Sensing the sheepish smile behind the Hunter's helmet, Pluto couldn't help but shake his head once more. Having been making appointments with each other, Pluto's status as the infamous 'Executioner' made its way to Zeno and his fellow Hunter had decided a sneak attack on the Exo Hunter was needed to really see the older Guardian's prowess. It's been several years, and Zeno have yet to accomplish his 'mission' but it soon turned into a sort of greeting between the two when they do have the time to catch up; at first, Pluto had found it annoying but as timed passed, the older Guardian soon started to find it more amusing and had taken the opportunity to give the younger Guardian some advice in hopes that perhaps, in the future, he will land a successful hit on the Exo Guardian.

"If you want to hit me successfully, Zeno, don't try to make so much noise when you're ambushing someone."

"How can I do that when you can practically hear a pin hit the floor when you're at least four floors away from it?"

"…. You know that is an exaggeration?"

"Considering you figured out my ambush before I even rushed you, I beg to differ."

Rolling his optics behind his visor, Pluto then shifted his grip, letting Zeno's wrists free from his grip before holding out a hand; his fellow Hunter accepted the gesture, prompting the Exo Hunter to pull Zeno onto his feet and releasing his grip to let Zeno brush remnants off the marsh off of his cloak. Like all experienced Hunters, the cloak reaches down to his knees and is kept clean; a sign of the Hunter's experience and care. The color of the cloak is black at the top but as it goes down, transitions to a light shade of grey and the Hunter's insignia is visible on the back alongside white oval shaped lines that slowly made their way to the end of the cloak; a sign of Zeno's dedication to the faction of Guardians.

"Maybe if I silence my footsteps with some sponges and moss, then 'maybe' I can successfully land a hit on you before you can hear me."

Pluto gave his fellow Hunter a blank stare, "Now you're just getting ridiculous."

"Hey, anything to land a hit on you, I'll take it."

Rolling his optics once more, Pluto then crossed his arms to give off the sense of annoyance; in truth, he struggled to contain the chuckle he was holding back.

"You're smiling," The teasing tone was clear in Zeno's voice, "I can tell, I don't have to see your face, you're smiling."

Feeling his features flinch in a vain attempt to keep his composure, Pluto then reached down and used the back of his hand to hit his fellow Hunter on the shoulder; hard enough to give out a point but softly enough not to leave any serious mark.

"I thought we came here to have a 'check-up', not to play around."

A snort immediately escaped from behind Zeno's helmet, but nonetheless, the Hunter motioned for Pluto to follow before turning around and heading back into the brush. Hearing Nix twirl his back fins nervously, the Exo Hunter turned and reached out with his hand, barely brushing his fingers underneath the viridian Ghost's shell. Immediately, Nix settled down into his Hunter's palm, signaling to Pluto to bring his hand close to his chest, feeling his Ghost nestle closer as he stated, "Don't worry, perhaps this time, he might have made progress."

"That is what you said last time."

Saying nothing in response to Nix's words, Pluto instead opted to follow Zeno into the marsh, brushing past any stray leaves that got in his way.

Xxxxx

Despite being 'many' years younger than Ianos, Aleeza has experienced enough to know that a Praetorian is not something you should joke around with. She had easily heard of young Guardians taunting the larger Vex only to have their lives prematurely ended because of their overconfidence. As such, the female Warlock had opted for her sniper rifle, praying that the heavier impact weapon would be enough to take down the upgraded Vex. However, as she prepared to aim her weapons at the door, she jumped when Prime's voice suddenly cried out, " _Hey! What are you doing!?"_

Snapping her crimson hues towards the main core, the female Guardian couldn't help but reel back when she saw Angel hovering above the consoles, his hands moving furiously on the keys.

" _Stop! Don't touch anything!"_ Easily hearing the agitation in the large AI's voice, Aleeza took it as a sign to walk over to the human Guardian and press her hand against his shoulders, hoping that it would snap him back to attention. However, to her surprise, Angel stuck fast to the consoles, his gaze shifting from key to key as he typed furiously.

"Angel? Angel?" Aleeza then decided to shake the Hunter and this time, she watched as his visored gaze snapped towards her, his fingers coming to a pause just above the keys, "Angel, what are you doing?"

"Speeding up the process."

"What?" The female Awoken slowly shifted her hand away from the human Guardian's shoulder, "what do you…?"

Instead of gaining an answer, Aleeza couldn't help but reel back as Angel once again shifted his attention back onto the console, his fingers once again flying over the keys as Prime let out another cry of protest.

" _Stop it! You don't know what you're-"_ Aleeza turned her gaze towards the pod that held Esther, having heard the container hiss and the doors sliding open, " _doing?"_

Hearing the bewilderment in Prime's voice, Aleeza then prompted herself to ask, "Is something the matter?"

" _H-He just successfully sped up the process,"_

"What?!"

Hearing the Exo of the group voice their surprise followed by the shifting of their feet to signal their attention now on the main core of the room, Aleeza also couldn't help but let curiosity flood the back of her mind, her crimson hues shifting back over to the male Hunter, the latter of which still hovered over the keys, typing furiously away.

" _He just sped up the process,"_ Prime repeated, " _I can't even do that myself. Usually only-"_ The large AI then stopped abruptly, white noise then taking over the coms as if the large AI had come to a pause, " _Wait, are you-"_

Prime was interrupted as a rumbling sound echoed through the room, causing all present to snap their gaze towards one section of the lab, only to reel back as the wall slowly creaked open, revealing a hall leading down its corridor.

"It still works." Aleeza heard Angel let out a sigh of relief before watching the human Hunter turn and motioned for them to follow, "Come on! Let's hurry before the Vex get in."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Spirit muttered out as the Exo Warlock approached the pod where Esther laid, easily scooping her out as the familiar red shell form of Vulcan hovered above the two.

" _Wait!"_ Snapping her gaze towards the main core of Prime, Aleeza swore the large AI, the embodiment of one of the successes of the Golden Age, the system that creates the 'programs' for Exo, let out a whine, " _You are not going to leave me here, are you?"_

"I-I- what?" The female Warlock can tell Angel was taken aback, his plan obviously not including the large AI, "How do you expect us to bring you, a program so large that not even a decent hard drive can carry you, to bring you with us!?"

If Prime had a physical form, Aleeza swore the AI would have pouted; although empathetic to Prime, she cannot help but agree with the human Hunter. Being a creation at one of the highest points of the Golden Age, there is no way to carry Prime's program, even a small bit, with them, despite the Guardians' years of digging up Golden Age relics. The only system that Aleeza can think of that can properly hold Prime's data would be a Ghost, but what would happen if two consciousness are placed into one core? Who knows of the drawbacks that would happen to the Guardian's partners and Aleeza knows that none of those currently present would want to volunteer their Ghosts for such a risk.

"Wait, Spirit, do you still have Nora's shell?"

Reeling back at the question, Aleeza turned around in time to see Ianos turn his focus towards the Exo Warlock, the latter of which tilted his head in bewilderment.

"Yes, why?"

"Hand her to me."

Almost instantly, Aleeza saw Spirit's shoulders tense, his grip on his Esther's shoulder tightening; the female Warlock can tell that the Exo Warlock isn't going to give up his friend's dead Ghost without good reason.

"Why?" The expected question popped from the male Guardian and instantly, Aleeza can sense the annoyance emitting from Ianos, "We are going to use her to get Prime out of here."

That was when Aleeza took in a sharp breath, her crimson eyes wide as Spirit took several steps back, the female Warlock imaging his jaw agape if his helmet was absent, "Why would you desecrate Nora's shell like that?! She hasn't even been dead for twenty-four hours and you're treating her like a hard drive!"

"We just can't leave Prime here, our objective is to bring them back to the Tower safely. If we leave them behind, Alyx's, Nora's, 'and' Esther's sacrifice will be in vain." Hearing Ianos speak through clenched teeth, Aleeza can tell that the Veteran Guardian was trying to keep cool and keep his temper in check. But with the Vex still banging on the front entrance and the possibility of Prime getting into their hands lingering in his mind, Aleeza knows that sooner or later, he is going to snap; she won't be surprise if he must fight Spirit to gain access to Nora's shell.

Thankfully, Spirit's shoulders sagged, his grip on the female Exo's shoulders loosening, "But…Nora…"

"It will be 'temporary'," Aleeza can tell that Ianos had relaxed as well; his shoulders less rigid and his voice calmer, more in tune, "Once we get back to the Tower, we should have proper equipment and access to properly transfer Prime to another drive. But for now, Nora is the only one around who can safely transfer them."

Sensing the hesitation emitting from Spirit, the female Warlock watched as the Exo kneeled down on one knee and held out his hand, summoning the familiar green shell of his Ghost before the latter of which let out a stream of light. Soon, the light expanded into a small orb where the familiar red and blue shell of Nora materialized into view, settling in the confines of light before Ianos tentatively stepped forward and delicately scooped the prone form of Alyx's Ghost into his palms.

"Place her over there."

Turning her attention back onto Angel, Aleeza couldn't help but raise a brow as the Hunter pointed to a circular platform nearby, placed against a wall just next to a row of more consoles. Keeping her questions to herself, Aleeza then refocused her attention back onto Ianos, the latter of which followed Angel's instructions and placed the Ghost's shell onto the platform. No sooner had he taken steps back, when the lights flashed around the pedestal, Aleeza snorting as Ianos leaped back from the action.

Sensing him giving her a glare from the side, Aleeza responded with a smile, uncaring if he is able to see it behind her visor or not.

" _Engaging Data Transfer,"_ Aleeza snapped her gaze back towards Prime's core, only to reel back once more as the lights on the console lit up and blinked repeatedly, " _Transfer occurring in three, two, one..."_

Just as immediately as the lights flickered, they then suddenly died, the sounds of power humming away before the room went completely dark, causing Aleeza to lift up her weapon immediately, waving it around as if waiting for an enemy to flash right in front of her. Instead, the familiar sound of her Ghost materializing over her shoulder echoed in her ears followed by the familiar light coming to life, immediately lighting up her field of view. This soon was followed by the sound of the rest of her team's Ghost following suit, the dark room soon lighting up with the lights from the Guardian's partners.

"Did it work?" It was Carina who asked the question, the female Titan glancing around before immediately aiming her auto-rifle at the door as another resounding 'boom' echoed through the room; even with the power off, the doors were still durable enough to keep hold.

"If I were to make an opinion, yes, I think it definitely worked."

Immediately, all eyes turned towards the pedestal that held Nora's shell, however, all present came to a pause as the once dull optic of the female Ghost was now bright and alive, however, instead of the green hue that Aleeza had come to recognize, it was a shade of white, contrasting heavily against the red and blue shell.

"Traveler," Aleeza heard Angel breathe out, "I actually thought it wouldn't work."

"Oh, thinking that I wouldn't make it, h'mmm?" The female Warlock watched as Nora's…Prime's optic shifted, a sign of annoyance, "Well, all I can say is this: this is strange. You are all…bigger at this perspective."

"Maybe it's because you're in a Ghost's body?" Aleeza suggested, earning a small hum from the now small AI.

"Good point," Prime agreed, "although there is a tad bit of a problem."

"What is that?"

"I can't move," Aleeza then watched as Prime spun their back fins, watching as they rolled around in a circle around the pedestal, their parts expanding and retracting in a vain attempt to shift their movement, "how can Ghosts move like this?"

At first silent, a laugh soon escaped the female Warlock, Aleeza easily leaning back as she let out her laughter, easily sensing afterwards the annoyance from the Golden Age AI, "Not funny."

"Aleeza," The female Awoken can easily hear the deadpan tone in Ianos' voice, "This is not the time."

"Sorry, sorry," A chuckle escaped her lips, "it is just so amusing. Never seen a Ghost move like that."

"Because they are 'not' a Ghost," It was Spirit who made the statement and Aleeza can easily sense the glare that the Exo gave the Golden Age AI, "the reason why they can't move is because they do not have Light, unlike 'our' Ghosts."

"So, you just can't leave me like this." Prime gave the others another blank, "Someone, carry me?"

Aleeza let out another guffaw.

Xxxxx

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Pluto heard Zeno chirp out as he watched his fellow Hunter stretch out his arms, slowly turning around as if to empathize his 'home'.

Like many Hunters, Zeno had made a makeshift base of his current location and Venus, was no exception. After making a way through the marshes and the thick underbrush, they had made it to one area of the Ishtar Sink, making their way into one of the many buildings before finally making a way to a room, opened by a handprint that Zeno had reintegrated with his own. When the door opens, Pluto was greeted with the sight of a room cleaned and fixed; the consoles lining up against the wall looking as though they had never went through the corrosive effects of the Darkness and time, the walls cleaned to brand new, and the rest of the effects either looked like as though they were dragged in front another area, such as the table placed in the middle and the kitchen integrated in the corner nearby. Other words, in Pluto's optics, a nice area to stay.

A heavy 'thunk' shifted Pluto's attention from the room towards Zeno, blinking as he watched the latter pick up his discarded chest piece, tossing it onto one of the nearby chairs with his already discarded cloak and helmet before reaching up and removing his gauntlets. With his right arm, it held scars, not uncommon amongst Guardians, however, when he tossed his right gauntlet with the rest of his armor pieces, it was apparent that it had been 'modified'. Unlike the left, the right arm was a cybernetic implant, similar in design to Exo however less sophisticated and more obvious the plating had been installed himself, mainly from the scars seen around the skin where the implant is attached. Watching Zeno kick off his leg armor, it gave Pluto the opportunity to hear his footfalls better, and although the Exo Hunter already knew the reason, he can easily tell they were heavier, and the sound more 'artificial' than the 'organic' sounds that Pluto easily recognizes. In other words, his legs were also implants as well.

"Tea?"

Shifting his attention away from the implants, Pluto focused his attention onto Zeno's features, his pale skin color contrasting greatly against his dark brown strands. His emerald eyes, although immediately catching Pluto's attention, it was his right eye that caught his attention the most. Just like his arm and his legs, his right eye was an implant, the optic color matching his natural emerald hues. The reason why he gave himself those implants, Pluto never asked; with his experience and age, the Exo Hunter knows better than to pry into personal lives. As such, he simply nodded at Zeno's question, prompting the human Hunter to walk over to his makeshift kitchen and taking out the familiar utensils needed to make the beverage.

As he waited for Zeno to finish making the warm beverage, Pluto took the opportunity to take a seat at the table before reaching up and release the sealant on his helmet, signaling to Nix to spread out his light around the piece of equipment and taking it into the Vault, letting Pluto be free of the headpiece. No sooner had he done this when he suddenly found a cup placed in front of him, causing the Exo Hunter to shift his gaze onto Zeno's features and raise a mechanical brow. All he received was a broad grin from the human Hunter before the latter took a seat and started taking sips from his cup, pinky out.

Taking in the silence, Pluto decided to take the opportunity to pick up his cup and lifted it towards his 'lips', slowly tipping the contents into his mouth. Immediately, his sensors went active, taking in the liquid contents and feeling it being directed down his throat and down to his 'stomach', sending a shiver down his back as Pluto reeled back and tentatively placed the cup back onto the table. Made in mankind's image, 'taste buds' were also added to the Exo's senses but for the beings of metal and wires, their taste buds were more hyper sensitive, thanks to their sensors which are able to easily break down 'taste' and enabling the Exo to seemingly take in every molecule. And for Pluto, he is able to taste the herbs that Zeno had used to make the beverage and it seems the herbs came from the very marshes of Venus, for the Exo Hunter can taste it within his cup.

"You know, you are one of the few Exo I know that doesn't seem to enjoy 'taste'," Zeno pointed out as he too placed his cup back onto the table but, unlike Pluto's, his was empty, "of all the times I offer you tea, you just take a sip and put it back on the table. If you are just going to waste it like that, why not say no?"

In response, Pluto gave his fellow Hunter a blank stare, "I didn't want to 'offend'."

Zeno let out a snort, "You know it takes a lot to offend 'me'. I mean, come on." He nodded his head towards the cup in front of him, "Did you think that I would honestly be offended by the fact that you said no to tea?"

The Exo Hunter gave the Guardian another blank stare and this time, this response earned him a guffaw, "I thought you would know better with your age!"

Watching the human Hunter slap his knees, Pluto couldn't help but let annoyance itch the back of his mind, "Can we just get to the matter at hand? I have a lot to do back at the Tower."

That was a lie. In honesty, the Exo Hunter was annoyed at Zeno's teasing, although he knows his fellow Hunter didn't mean any harm in it. Luckily for Pluto, Zeno must have taken the hint for his laughter soon died down to quiet chuckles.

"You wanted to meet to know the progress on my research?" Pluto nodded at Zeno's question, "Well, there is progress and then, there isn't."

"What?" The Exo Hunter narrowed his red optics at the human Hunter, "What do you mean?"

"I figured out how to repair 'external' damages done to Ghosts, such as broken shells, scratches, even a cracked optic," Zeno stated, "however, 'internal' damages such as your Ghost, I haven't quite cracked the code for that, mainly for one reason."

"And that is..?"

"Well, if I want to know the inner workings of a Ghost, I have to technically look at their 'insides'," The Exo Hunter paused at his fellow Hunter's words, "as you know, a process like that well, a living Ghost won't live through it. And a dead Ghost? Out of the question, not unless I have clearance with their Guardian."

Leaning back in his seat as he soaked in Zeno's words, Pluto had to mentally agree with the human Hunter. Living Ghosts are getting scarce and as such, when a Ghost loses their Guardian, it was much preferred that they find another in order to fill in the dwindling numbers, even if they are unwilling. As such, killing a Ghost to fix Nix's optic was out of the question. And to dissect an already dead Ghost? Pluto can clearly understand why Zeno would be uncomfortable at the notion. He himself is a living Guardian that had lost a Ghost to the Darkness and to take apart one that was 'family' to another Guardian when they are not around just didn't seem right. It doesn't help that there aren't many Guardians around who are alive who still have the shell of their dead Ghosts intact. More often than naught, when a Guardian loses their Ghost, the former either had to abandon the shell of their Ghost or are forced away to ensure their survival. Even then, such an occurrence is rare in itself. The only Guardians that Pluto knows of who had lost their Ghost 'and' survived are Eris, Matt, and Zeno, the latter of which is seated in front of him. Between the three of them, only Zeno brought the shell of his Ghost back but Pluto highly doubts he'll like the idea of dissecting his dead friend.

"So, we're at a standstill then?" Pluto asked, heaving out a sigh when Zeno let out a nod, "any ideas how to move this project 'forward'?"

"A blueprint." Pluto raised a brow at Zeno's response, "I know it seems farfetched but if we somehow get a blueprint of a Ghost, then there may be a possibility to know their inner workings."

"You do know there has never been a blueprint of a Ghost? Ever?" The Exo Hunter saw Zeno let out a nod, "Then how do you propose we create a blueprint of a Ghost?"

"Simple." Pluto watched the human Hunter let out a grin, "Scans. Lots of it."

Narrowing his optics at Zeno's words, Pluto opened his mouth to retort only to slowly close it shut. Although seemingly impossible at first, when given time and effort, Zeno's plan could work. If individual Ghosts scan each other and then consort with one another to break down the data, then it would be possible to create a blueprint of the Guardian's partners where their internal workings can finally be properly investigated. But who knows how long such a feat would take? With their numbers, it can perhaps take only a few weeks. However, considering how much is not known about Ghosts plus, the massive amount of data that is possibly held within, it can also take years. And who knows how long it will take to figure out how to fix the broken sight of a Ghost.

"I can wait." Pluto shifted his gaze towards Nix, the blind Ghost having turned their scans towards his Guardian and lifted his parts upwards; a Ghost equivalent of a smile, "We survived this long. We can survive a few more years, if that is what it takes." He then spun his back fins, "Anyway, I am quite getting use to this being blind thing. Won't kill me to stay blind for a few more years."

At first silent, Pluto blinked several times before letting out a snort before shifting his gaze back towards Zeno, "How long do you think this project will take?"

The human Hunter let out a small hum in response to the Exo Hunter's question, "If you go back and tell the others back at the Tower, a couple of years, perhaps six at most, counting on how quickly we can gather the data."

Counting the numbers in his head, Pluto couldn't help but shake his head as he leaned back in his seat. Despite the fact that both he and Nix had lived for 'years', six years is still quite a few years for a Guardian, especially when they're active and spend most of their time out on the field. Six years is plenty enough time for a Guardian to head out and get themselves killed. But then again, perhaps he is just overthinking things.

"As long as we can get this project moving forward, then a few years shouldn't hurt," Pluto saw the human Hunter let out another smile and then nod in agreement, "Research such as this shouldn't be rushed."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Zeno beamed, "Ghosts in general are wholly unknown, so to rush on such research can be harmful to Ghosts such as Nix if we attempt to repair them without the proper knowledge."

Soaking in his fellow Hunter's words, Pluto couldn't help but flinch at the possibility of Nix being further damaged from a repair attempt before his thoughts quickly twisted to the point of where he can possibly lose his Ghost. Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts, Pluto quickly picked up his cup and drained the beverage, despite his sensors protesting at the taste of the marsh and herbs that intermingled in the liquid. As he placed the cup back onto the table, Pluto shifted his gaze back onto Zeno, only to see the human Hunter's eyes wide at his action.

"Wow," He watched as Zeno let out a whistle, "That thirsty?"

Giving his fellow Hunter a blank stare, Pluto opted to say nothing, but instead shifted his gaze back onto his cup and tapping the side tentatively with his fingers, "Now that we have found a 'solution' to our problem, I have a question to ask of you, Zeno."

Hearing the let out a small 'h'm' in response, Pluto shifted his gaze back onto his fellow Hunter, "Have you see a group of Guardians come by here?"

Xxxxx

Carina couldn't understand why they hadn't ran to the exit sooner when they had the chance. They had plenty of time to dash off into the secret passageway that Angel somehow had opened despite the fact that this was his first time on Venus 'after' his escape from the Vex planet, even when they had successfully transferred Prime's data into Nora's empty shell. However, even with all the time they had to run towards safety, the Vex still somehow forced their way in and they are now rushing towards the passageway under heavy Vex fire.

Although despite their current circumstance, Carina had to admit, watching Prime roll around in a body of a Ghost was highly amusing.

"Move! Move!"

The voice of Ianos shook Carina's mind out of the gutter, causing her to glance back as she slid into the safety of the passageway. Angel had obviously had made it in first, his skills and years as a Hunter enabled him to be light on his feet and already he was working on another panel that was built on the side of the hall. Behind her, it was Aleeza who came next, the female Awoken having been the one to snatch Prime off of the pedestal and clenched tightly in one hand as she held her sniper in the other, the weapon useless in her grasp with her other hand presently occupied. Spirit was the next one to make it into the hall, Carina watching him nearly trip over his feet at the last few steps into entering the passageway, barely keeping the unconscious form of Esther in his arms. Finally, Ianos was the last to make it in, firing off his fusion rifle at any approaching Vex, Carina watching the mechanical beings instantly disappear in a flash of void energy, their outlines barely visible in the dark as male Awoken took the final steps in.

"Can you shut the damn thing?!" Ianos shouted as he reloaded his weapon, barely charging up his weapon in time to fire at an approaching Goblin, the latter of which let out a screeching cry before it too disappears in a flash of void light.

"Hold on!" Carina heard Angel shout back, hearing him grumble before the sound of a fist hitting metal and then sparks springing to life, "Power's off!"

"Why in the Traveler would the power be off!?"

"Because Prime was the main function of the room! Now that they're in Nora's shell, nothing is keeping the room powered! Nothing is functional!"

"Then we're doing this the old fashion way!"

Hearing Ianos' statement, Carina turned and gave the Warlock a bewildered stare, up until she saw the familiar swirl of void light materialize in his grasp, "You got to be fucking kidding me?"

"Have any better ideas?"

Taking in the Warlock's words, Carina opened her mouth to respond however found herself interrupted when an explosion erupted from the side of the entrance, knocking the female Exo off of her feet. Stunned, Carina glanced up, her violet optics barely sighting the familiar form of what appeared to be a Minotaur however broader in size and the cannon in its hands larger but narrowed at the tip. Almost as if sensing her stare, Carina watched as the large Vex turned its red glowing eye towards her and then refocused its cannon straight at the female Titan.

"No time for a response! Do it now!"

Hearing Spirit scream out the command, Carina immediately shifted her attention onto Ianos, watching as the latter toss the grenade and then turned around, "Run!"

Her optics going wide as the familiar sound of the grenade slowly building up power ringing in her auditory receptors, Carina scrambled to her feet, rushing deeper into the tunnels as she heard the others rush ahead. Not long after, she heard the ringing sound reach its peak.

An explosion rang through the air and the next thing Carina knew, she was knocked off her feet, feeling herself fly forward from the aftermath. Instinctively, she held out her arms in front of her despite the fact she still held her auto rifle in her hands, and as soon as they made contact, she felt herself still moving forward. Immediately, a 'crack' rang through her auditory sensors as the front of her helmet impacted her weapon, the female Titan was momentarily stunned from the fall and the fact that her visor went undamaged from the impact before feeling her chest impact the floor beneath her. Mentally thanking the Traveler for the lack of lungs in her system, Carina heard her joints groan in protest as she pushed herself into a sitting position, shifting her gaze around the passageway as the familiar forms of everyone's Ghosts lifted themselves off the floor, once again lighting up the dark room.

"Is everyone alright?" Carina called out as she pushed herself onto her feet, hearing Spears glide over to her shoulder not long after.

"Despite the shockwave of the explosion knocking us off our feet?" The female Exo heard Angel let out a cough, "We're great."

"I'm just glad we're in one piece," It was Spirit who spoke next, Carina shifting her focus onto her fellow Exo as he shifted the still form of Esther in his arms before pushing himself onto his feet, both Vulcan and his Ghost following his movements, "everyone is in one piece, right?"

"Seems like it," Hearing the familiar voice of the Awoken female, Carina's eyes soften as she quickly walked over to the female Guardian, reaching down and linking her arms with her lover and helping her onto her feet, "This includes Prime as well!" Aleeza then held out the AI as if to empathize her words.

"That. Was amazing!" The Golden Age AI stated, "Never have I experienced anything like it before! Do you experience things like this everyday?"

"Uhm, sort of?" Carina can sense the sheepish smile behind the female Awoken visor as Prime let out a whistle, "This is definitely more exciting than staying inside that lab."

"Don't get used to it." All eyes shifted their eyes towards Ianos, the latter of which had leaned against the wall, a hand to his side, "The adrenaline rush will feel nice at first but trust me, the 'excitement' won't last long."

A cough then escaped the Awoken Warlock, causing Carina to tilt her head slightly in concern, "You alright there, Ianos?

His heavy breathing now audible through the dark room, Carina watched as his gaze shifted towards her, watching as his shoulders laxed as he stated, "I didn't quite move fast enough."

At first bewildered by Ianos' words, it was only when Ace glided over and spread their light over the Awoken Guardian's armor did she notice what was off; a crack was visible down the front of his visor followed by the sound of air escaping from 'something', a sign that whatever is holding in Ianos' precious drugs is now unable to hold it in.

"Ianos?" This time Angel's voice broke through the darkness, causing Ianos to shift his focus over to the young Hunter.

"I'll be fine," Ianos let out another cough, "I should be able to bear it for at least a few hours."

Strain can be clearly heard in his tone, causing the female Exo to narrow her optics in doubt and when her gaze saw his shaking hands, her doubt only strengthens.

"Let's find a way out of here." Watching Ianos push himself off the wall, Carina at first took steps forward to stop him, only to feel a hand clamp down onto her shoulder. Snapping her gaze towards the owner of the hand, the female Titan's hardened gaze soon softened when she recognized the familiar visor of Aleeza, the latter of which gave her a shake of the head before removing her hand from the Titan's shoulder. Glancing back at the male Warlock, Carina couldn't let out help but let out huff before she nodded, signaling to the others that she was ready.

Watching the others recompose themselves and pick up their fallen weapons, Carina turned her attention down the passageway. Like the room they had just occupied earlier, it was dark, the power having been deactivated when Prime was transferred into Nora's shell. Despite Spears' best attempt to shine his light down the hall, the darkness seemed to be never-ending, the female Exo squinting her optics in a vain attempt to see the end. Hearing Ianos let out another cough, Carina glanced back at the Warlock, seeing him lean against the wall as he repeatedly brushed Ace aside, gently pushing the Ghost away whenever the latter tried to get close. Mentally noting the similar in stubbornness between him and a late Sunbreaker, the female Titan then shifted her gaze towards Spirit, watching the latter carry Esther tenderly in his arms, as if scared by the notion that she can simply break from a short fall.

Noting that one of their numbers is down and that one of them is possibly crippled, Carina took in a deep breath as she held her auto rifle title in her grasp. If everyone is going to survive this ordeal, then they need to find a way out. Fast.

* * *

 _And that is the end of this chapter :D_

 _Zeno belongs to Lazypersons_

 _Update on those who submitted characters. Please be patient, as I am trying my best to incorporate them in. With the combination of life and the fact that putting characters in without deviating from the story, it does take a while to put them in. I am getting there and I apologize for the wait but once again, please be patient. Thank you! ^_^_


	51. Special: Crimson Days

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Special: Crimson Days_**

 _Decided to update today for Valentine's Day :D  
_

 _Don't worry, there will still be an update tomorrow C:_

* * *

"Any plans for your 'wifey'?" Carina laughed as Akvia choked on his drink, slamming his fist repeatedly onto his chest in an attempt to clear his airway, "oh come on, don't be like that. You know as well as I do that you didn't ask for leave just to sit around and do nothing while Crimson Days is around. The Holiday is a time for 'lovemaking' and the 'sexy' time." She gave the male Titan a wink, "Planning to make another Ora?"

The two Titans were seated in the bar in the lower floor of the Hangar, a single drink in their hands while a couple of bottles were laid out in front of them on their table. At first, the two had planned to call the rest of Fireteam Redacted to join in but after getting nothing but rebuffs and white noise, the two Titans decided that the two of them will just be enough for company. As such, the two had stripped down to casual clothes; Carina in a simple copper shirt and dark pants and Akiva in a dark brown sweats and shirt, and are currently chatting away why lingering near the edge of a buzz. At least, for a little while.

"First off, we're not married so she's my 'girlfriend', not my wife…yet." The female Titan grinned as Akiva coughed into his fist, "and secondly, just because we're going to have a 'special' night together doesn't mean Neve and I are trying to make more kids."

"Pfft, still going to be a fun night for the two of you," Carina laughed as she leaned back in her seat, "I would ask if Aleeza and I can join you two but we decided just to sit back and enjoy the view of the stars in her room."

Immediately, Akiva gave the female Titan a wide-eyed stare, "Wait, you two aren't going to have intercourse tonight?"

"Who said we wouldn't?" Carina snorted, "But it is a strong 'maybe' at this point and Aleeza and I just want to relax. No Darkness. No Fighting. No Action. Just, peace."

Laughing at his fellow Titan's words, Akiva took a sip of his drink before he let out a small hum, "You know, talking about what we are going to do tonight just makes me wonder what the others are planning."

"You mean lonesome number one, two, and three?" Carina smiled as the male Titan let out a snort, "I know for 'sure' that Angel is trying to get flight permission from Zavala to let him head out and stay with the House of Spirits for the rest of Crimson Days but, Ianos and Pluto? No idea."

Taking a sip of her own drink, Carina then heard Akiva let out another hum, "I know for certain that Pluto is going to mourn the loss of Neptune this year."

"Again?"

"The two of them have been together for 'years', Carina, ever since the two of them found their names," The female Titan paused at Akiva's words, "Suddenly losing him like that, it's going to be a few more years before Pluto can move on from the loss."

"What about Ianos?"

Instantly, Akiva paused at Carina's question, causing the female Titan to raise a brow at her fellow Titan's silence, "Well?"

"Well…," Akiva started, "Let's just say that he is going to be doing the same thing that Pluto might be doing this year."

It took Carina only seconds for the male Titan's words to click in her head, "Wait a minute! Ianos had a partner!?"

"Carina," Hearing Akiva hiss between his teeth, the female Titan blinked, bewilderment clear in her violet optics as the male Titan heaved out a sigh.

"Yes and no," Carina blinked once more at the Titan's words, "Ianos didn't really have just 'a' partner, he…" He heaved out a sigh, hesitation clear in his golden hues, "He had two."

Her optics going wide at the new information she just received about the Awoken Warlock, a mischievous smile formed onto her metallic features, a sign that Akiva didn't miss.

"Keep this to yourself, alright?" The male Titan immediately stated, "The only ones that are supposed to know is just Pluto and I so keep this to yourself when Ianos is around. He wouldn't be happy that I revealed that kind of information without his permission, especially since he himself relayed it to me."

"Oh, I will make sure that he doesn't figure it out," Carina's smile stayed on her face, "But I would have 'never' thought Ianos would be the type to start a relationship not with just one but 'two'?" She leaned forward in her seat, "Who were the two men who were brave enough to stand him?"

A laugh escaped from Akiva's lips, "Their names were Ahamri-34 and Zakai. With Ianos, the three of them formed a Fireteam called Fireteam Trinity, mainly for the reason that they were all Warlocks, each attuned to a different light." Watching Akiva take another sip of his drink, Carina waited patiently before he continued, "If I remember correctly, Zakai came first before Ahamri came into the picture. He didn't say how their relationship started initially but as soon as the three of them formed a team, they soon became notorious for being in a polyamorous relationship." Akiva let out a snort, "You should have seen the smile on the kid's face, never seen him seem so happy."

Letting the imagery of Ianos with his helmet absent and a smile on his face, Carina couldn't help but let out a shiver, finding the notion both weird and out of character, "So what happened then? Did the three of them have a falling out?"

Almost instantly, Carina saw the male Titan's eyes turn melancholic, the cheerfulness in his golden hues fading, "No, the Great Disaster is what happened."

Immediately, the female Exo went silent, her violet optics silently reading the honesty in Akiva's eyes. Despite her years, Carina had taken it upon herself to learn about the Great Disaster and she soon learned that the name was more than appropriate. Although at first, the Guardians had the upper hand, the appearance of Crota soon changed all that, easily killing hundreds of Guardians with a single swing of his sword and it didn't help that his Knights also held weapons very similar in function. Within minutes, the Hive Prince had the able-bodied Guardians retreating, forcing them to leave behind the injured and the dead. The death count was so numerous, Carina heard that Ghosts of those who had perished during the Great Disaster can still be found on the Moon to this day.

"Let me guess, they didn't make it?" Carina watched as Akiva nodded, "I couldn't get anymore from Ianos, had to ask Pluto and he had to be the one to tell me what had happened." He heaved out a sigh before letting out a quiet snort, "You know, when you see Pluto and Ianos in action, it would have never crossed your mind that they had suffered such a large amount of losses during their years alive. They seem to have things together and easily keep their mind focused at the task at hand. Makes me wonder what they do behind closed doors."

Tapping the side of her cup as she soaked in the male Titan's words, Carina couldn't help but mentally agree with her fellow Titan. She had seen both Pluto and Ianos fight and even though she hated to admit it, Carina knows she will have to have a few more years of experience before she can even stand her ground against either one of them. Every time Fireteam Redacted would head out on a mission together, more than likely, Pluto and Ianos would be the only ones who would leave the mission without a death. Banged up and bruised perhaps, but more often than not, they would live throughout the mission without a resurrection. Not once had it crossed her mind that Pluto would still be mourning the loss of Neptune or that Ianos even had partners during the years before Fireteam Redacted.

Letting out a small huff at this thought, Carina then shifted her violet optics on Akiva, "So the two of them are going to spend Crimson Days alone then?"

The female Titan watched as Akiva let out a shrug, "Perhaps, but the few years that I have known them, I always see them enter Pluto's room together every time Crimson Days comes around."

Carina blinked, "So what, they sleep with each other?"

The female Exo couldn't help but smile as Akiva let out a sputter, "No! Of course not!" Throwing his arms into the air before leaning back into his seat, Akiva then added, "I have no idea what they do when they enter Pluto's room but I know for sure that it is not 'that'."

Laughing at her fellow Titan's reaction, Carina then lifted up her cup and took another sip, listening to Akiva grumble before she placed her drink back onto the table and let out a hum, "You know, we should do something special for lonesome one, two, and three for Crimson Days."

The female Exo watched as Akiva fixated his gaze on her and raised a brow, "Oh? What do you propose we do? Crimson Days is a day usually spent with loved ones."

"Pah, why do people think that love only sticks with 'lovebirds'." Carina rolled her optics, "Love can be platonic and it can be held between friends. Geez, is that why Guardians are scared to say 'I love you' to friends?"

From the way Akiva took a quick sip from his cup and fidgeted in his seat, Carina didn't need a vocal answer to her question.

Shaking her head, the female Titan took another sip of her drink before she glanced over her shoulder, spying the familiar green and violet form of Spears hovering nearby, "Is there a day that we're free, Spears?"

 _{"Besides tonight, you're practically free."}_

"Perfect!" Shifting her gaze back onto Akiva, Carina beamed, "So it's settled then. We're going to schedule a day where Fireteam Redacted will celebrate Crimson Days together!"

Watching Akiva drain his cup and smack his lips afterwards, Carina then heard him state, "What do you suggest we do?"

Humming quietly to herself, Carina's violet optics lit up as a thought flashed into her mind, "I know 'exactly' what we can do."

Xxxxx

"I can't believe you're actually making me go."

A snort escaped Pluto's lips, the Exo Hunter turning his activated optics towards the male Guardian as the latter stated, "Movie night? Why are we wasting a day of leave watching a 'movie'?"

Like many Guardians, both Pluto and Ianos were given leave during the week long celebration of Crimson Days and as such, when the pair were invited to Aleeza and Carina's quarters for a 'movie' night, the two had stripped away their armor and changed into something more casual. Ianos was wearing a dark azure short sleeved shirt tucked into dark pants, the baggy pieces of clothing easily hiding the boots he wore underneath. His proto-type system was wrapped around his waist and arms, ensuring that the clear mask around his lips were giving him the needed drugs for him to stay pain free. Pluto on the other hand, wore a sleeveless hooded shirt, pulling the hood over his head in an attempt to mimic his cloak. Like Ianos, he wore dark baggy pants over some boots and as such, with the dark hall lights currently off to accommodate Guardians already in bed, the only thing that can be seen from the Exo Hunter were his red glowing optics. As the two walked through the dark hall, both Ace and Nix hovered near their respective Guardian's shoulders however, keeping their light to themselves to ensure their light doesn't bother sleeping Guardians in their apartments.

"What? Would you rather have us head to my room and grieve silently?" Pluto asked, watching the Awoken Guardian pause at his words, "I would rather spend my energy on doing 'positive' instead of feeling the pain of losing a loved one. Movie night with Fireteam Redacted seems the right way to go."

Hearing Ianos grumble under his breath, Pluto couldn't help but let out another snort as the Awoken Warlock eventually let out a defeated sigh, prompting the Exo Hunter to lead the way towards the two female Guardian's quarters. Coming to a pause next to a door moments later, Pluto quietly raised a fist and rapped the metal door with the back of his hand. As soon as the door slid open, both Pluto and Ianos raised a hand over their eyes, Ace letting out a small squeak before gliding behind their Guardian's shoulder.

There standing at the doorway was Aleeza, dressed in nothing but her undergarments.

"Oh, you're here," Pluto heard the female Awoken laugh, "Carina and I thought we had a bit more time before you all came along but guess we were wrong. Come on in and don't worry, I'll get dressed."

Lowering his hand to ensure the female Awoken was out of view, Pluto then reached over and tapped Ianos on the shoulder to signal to the Warlock that all was safe before the pair took tentative steps forward into the female Guardian's quarters.

"What happened?" It was Nix, Pluto feeling his Ghost hover close to his shoulder as he repeated, "What happened? Did something happen?"

"Trust me, just be glad that you weren't able to see that," Pluto muttered, earning a bewildered stare from the viridian Ghost.

"You have to admit though, that body…"

"If I were interested in women, I would make a comment. Since I'm not, not going to make any."

Pluto couldn't help but snort at Ianos' words, "Do you have a certain body 'type'?"

Hearing Ianos go silent, Pluto took it as an opportunity to take in the sight before him. The room they had entered seems to be the living area, the couch in the middle of the room and the blank wall in front makes that apparent. The only source of light is the opened window that expands majority of the wall and the simple lamp leaning in the corner of the room to accommodate the dark corner. To Pluto, it was deemed as casual, too casual for someone as Aleeza and Carina. He had expected something more 'messy', more like, clothes strewn out everywhere, just, signs that the two female Guardians were 'going at it'. Then again, the two could have cleaned their apartment for their guests. Who knows?

"I would say my type is someone who is lean, but not a stick," Pluto shifted his red optics towards Ianos, letting out a blink before smiling at the Awoken Warlock's words, "someone who has a bit of a muscle but not exaggerated."

"So, someone like Matt then?"

"…why did you have to mess it up for me?"

Laughing at Ianos' question, Pluto then walked over to the couch and took a seat, hearing Nix following behind him, signaling to the Exo Hunter to lay out his hands in his lap, spreading out his palms to give a spot for Nix to land and snuggle in. Not long after, Pluto felt Ianos take a seat next to him, turning his gaze towards the Awoken in time to see Ace glide over and snuggle into the crook of his neck.

"You two are here already?"

Shifting his gaze towards the entryway, Pluto blinked as he recognized the form of Akiva walk into a room, holding what appears to be a bowl in his hands, "And here I thought I was running late."

"Pfft, no, you're on time," Pluto stated, "Then again, Aleeza and Carina tried to grab a quickie before we got here."

"Hah! Sounds like them." Akiva walked over and took a seat next to Pluto as Lex glided over and cuddled into the crook of his arm, prompting the Exo Hunter to nod his head towards the bowl the Titan held in his hands, "So, what's that?"

"Oh! This!" Akiva beamed at the Exo, "Imagine my disappointment when they didn't have bagged popcorn. Then I remembered they sell corn in the Market so I went and bought some and here we are!"

Raising a brow at the human Titan's words, Pluto glanced down at the contents in the bowl. To him, it looked fluffy but look ragged, as if it had forced its way out of a small container and to the older Guardian, not really appealing. As if sensing the doubt from the Exo Hunter, Akiva plucked one of the pieces out of the bowl, gave him a smile, and then popped it into his mouth and chewed. Optics going wide, Pluto watched as Akiva popped another into his mouth, enjoying the treat as he continued to stare in awe.

"Hey, rules are you can't eat the popcorn until the movie starts."

As all eyes turned towards the entrance, Angel entered the room, dressed in a hooded shirt and long pants before he took an empty seat next to Akiva as Hope wiggled her way into the back of his hood, "That way, you don't hog it all for yourself."

Watching Akiva give the human Hunter a sheepish smile, Pluto couldn't help but let out a snort when a hand suddenly clamp down onto the Titan's shoulder, causing the latter to jump.

"Ready for the movie to start?"

It was Carina, the female Exo seems to haphazardly put on a zipped up sweater and shorts and holding to what seems to be a black box underneath her arm. Watching the female Guardian give her fellow Titan a smile, Pluto then watched her push herself away from the couch before walking over to the middle of the room and in Pluto's optics, seemingly unfold the black box so that it stands on thin legs. As soon as Carina took a step away to admire her work, Pluto then spied the black lens on the front, prompting the Exo Hunter to turn and raise a 'brow' at the female Exo. This didn't miss Carina's sight.

"This is Pre-Golden Age Tech." Carina's smile seems to broaden as Pluto's optics widen, "Aleeza found it during an expedition into an old city years ago. A projector I believe? She just recently put it back into shape." Pluto then watched her clap her hands together excitedly, earning a small huff from Spears as the latter glided away to the arm of the couch and settled there, "Oh come on Spears, you were just as excited as I were when Aleeza announced she had repaired it."

Hearing Spears let out a small squeal in response to his Guardian's words, Pluto can tell that the Ghost's response wasn't the one that Carina had wanted to hear, as the female Exo frowned at the violet and green shell of her Ghost before she threw her arms into the air and then let out a grumble. This in turn, caused a chuckle to echo through the room, causing all eyes to turn towards the hall only for Pluto to recognize Aleeza, the latter of which had thrown on a long-sleeved shirt and shorts and leaned against the wall of the hall with her arms crossed.

"Come on Carina, let's close the doors and the blinds so we can properly watch the movie in the dark." Watching Aleeza then walk over to the entrance of their room, Pluto then then heard the familiar sounds of blinds fluttering close, causing the room to slowly fade into the dark.

"So, what are we watching?" Hearing Angel's question, Pluto couldn't help but think the same as he watched Aleeza walk over to the projector and seemingly put in what resembled a disk into its side.

"Can't remember the title," The female Warlock let out a hum, "But if I remember correctly, it follows the perspective of two humans on board a ship that is apparently destined to sink."

"Well, that sounds pleasant," Pluto heard Ianos mutter out.

"Wait, is the movie called the Titanic?"

All eyes turned towards Akiva, the latter of which popped a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"I am. Not quite sure?" The uncertainty in Aleeza's voice was clear, "but it won't' matter as long as the movie is interesting, right?"

Hearing Akiva let out a snort, Pluto couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive, shifting nervously in his seat as the projector filtered out a screen onto the wall and the scene shifted towards the sea. Watching Carina and Aleeza take a seat next to Angel, Pluto couldn't help but jump as a hand stretched out across his chest and into the bowl of popcorn in Akiva's lap. Turning his optics towards Ianos, Pluto was surprise to see the Awoken Warlock lift up his mask and started popping single pieces of corn into his mouth one by one, slowly nibbling on them as the movie continued. Blinking several times at this, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but let his gaze soften as Ianos kept his gaze fixated onto the screen, occasionally letting out murmurs towards Ace as the two silently made commentary towards each other. He hadn't seen Ianos this relaxed in a while.

Shifting his gaze towards Akiva and Angel, Pluto couldn't help but let out a quiet snort as the Titan was shoveling handfuls of popcorn into his mouth, hearing Angel letting out silent protest as he attempted to grab at least a handful for himself. Aleeza and Carina were watching the movie silently, leaning their heads against each other's shoulders as they intertwined their fingers together. Shifting his gaze towards the screen back towards the movie, Pluto couldn't help but let a slow realization hit him; how long has it been since he had sat down with a team and relaxed like this? Free of their gear and for once, not carrying weapons into battles? Able to sit down and not worry about death and discrimination? Listing off the years before the deaths of his previous Fireteam, Pluto can say that it has been 'way' too long since he last relaxed like this and as such, he leaned his head back and let out a sigh of content.

The Exo Hunter knows that realistically, there will be a time when Fireteam Redacted will be no more, that there will come a time when several or all of the team be deceased or the fireteam will simply disband because of eventually disagreements. But for now, he will spend this rare moment and of all the days, on a day when Crimson Days was active.


	52. Running Out of Options

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Running Out of Options_**

 _I don't know why but I had hard time ending this chapter and as such, if the ending sounded rushed or doesn't make much sense, then yeah, you know why.  
_

 _Thanks to Lazypersons, Guest, AQY, Mantic64, and And-on-and-on for the reviews!_

 _ Lazypersons \- Glad you enjoyed it, was worried I wouldn't do him justice lol. and Thank you!_

 _ Guest \- You review made me smile, that's for sure. Although, read this chapter and perhaps you'll get your answer C:_

 _ AQY \- Oh thank you! Happy to know that you're enjoying my story! Oh yeah, the errors? I have a secret to that... I just read the chapter aloud to myself before I publish it. Really helps lol._

 _ Mantic64 \- Oh! Thank you lol. _

_ And-on-and-on  \- Thanks! And I apologize for the long wait! It takes a bit to incorporate other people's characters in but I can say this, your character 'will' make an appearance in this book. That's all I can say C:_

* * *

Things are getting bad.

He didn't want to worry the others so he had lied about being fine. Ianos was far from fine. His life support system crafted by Matt had been damage. The amazingly small little thing attached to the length of his spine had somehow gotten damaged. The little thing that was supposed to be small and sturdy enough to take on anything that hits Ianos, was damaged and by his own thrown grenade. And the Awoken Warlock was feeling it.

Not long after did the group of Guardians started their trek down the passageway when pain started eating away at his senses, Ianos feeling the Darkness slowly consuming the Light within his chest. And as such, he clenched his teeth, gripping his chest tightly as he breathed heavily, trailing behind the others as Ianos tuned into the sound of Ace's back fins twirling in agitation.

"A few hours? A few hours?" The Ghost hissed out, "You know as well as I do that we have less than a few hours to get your gear fixed before your condition worsens."

"And this is why I keep telling you to take in Matt's blueprints of the damn thing," Ianos rasped out, "and I hear the same damn thing: I will. I will. I will eventually."

"Oh, shut it."

Letting out a strained chuckle, Ianos suddenly let out a cough, prompting Ace to lean in and send their light coursing through the Warlock's damaged system. Almost instantaneously, relief spread throughout Ianos' body, signaling to the Awoken Guardian to take in slow deep breaths, preparing himself. Hearing the sound of the streams of light fade, Ianos took in a sharp breath when the pain returned, causing him to press his hand against the wall as he let out a heave and a cough.

"Ianos?"

Snapping his gaze upwards towards the group, Ianos then saw that all eyes had turned towards him, the male Guardian sensing the bewildered and concerned gaze of his team.

"Ianos? You feeling alright?" It was Aleeza who had asked the question and although Ianos tried to put up a face, he instead felt his hand collapse underneath his weight, causing him to fall flat onto his shoulder against the hall. Pressing his opposing hand in an attempt to push himself back onto his feet, the Awoken Warlock instead felt pain spike throughout his senses, the edges of his vision blurring as he gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into the wall.

"That's it, we can't hide this any longer." Hearing the finality in Ace's voice, Ianos heaved out a breath of defeat before leaning his head against the wall, the echoes of his Ghost's words fading in his ears as the world seemed to swirl around him. Letting another cough escape from his lips, Ianos felt his knees buckle underneath him but instead of fighting to keep himself propped up, the Awoken Guardian let his legs fall underneath him and as soon as he landed on his knees, ringing echoed in his ears.

"Ianos! Stay with me!"

Hearing the familiar voice of Ace ringing in his ears, Ianos shifted his gaze upwards, sighting the familiar orange optic of his Ghost before seeing the familiar violet and red cloak form of Aleeza moving into view, prompting Ianos to immediately reach out and smack away the female Warlock's helping hand.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest a bit."

"You are 'not' fine." It was Ace's voice, "A simple 'rest' won't do it either."

Letting out a scoff, Ianos opted to say nothing, instead turning and sliding completely down onto the floor with his back pressed against the wall.

"Can we not just pump some pain killers into his system so that he can walk?"

Tilting his head towards Spirit, Ianos narrowed his gaze at the Exo Warlock before spitting out, "You know as well as I do that that depending on the Guardian, our Light can rapidly break down whatever is in our body. For me, at my current situation, I am unfortunate enough to have Light that almost instantly breaks down anything that enters my system which includes any pain killers that you try to give me."

"Which would explain why Matt gave you a 'system, right?" Shifting his gaze over to Angel, Ianos nodded once, letting out a single cough before he flinched and clenched his hand over his chest as pain flashed throughout his body, "May I take a look?"

Giving Angel a half blank stare, Ianos remained silent before heaving out a tired sigh and nodding once before pushing himself from the wall. His body screaming in protest against the movement, the Awoken Warlock let out a grunt, "You have a knife, right?"

Sensing the bewildered stare from the human Hunter, Ianos heaved out a sigh, "Let's just say it's going to be a bit more complicated than taking the system off than you think."

Letting the silence fill the air, Ianos then heard Angel shift behind him before feeling a hand grab him by the shoulder and then feeling an object being inserted into the back of his coat. No sooner had he felt the cold metal of the human Hunter's knife touch his skin when he suddenly felt it slide down, the familiar sound of metal tearing through cloth echoing through the dark passage. Feeling the cold air press against his skin, Ianos let out a shiver before feeling gloved hands press under the remnants of his coat and pull it apart only to hear Angel take in a hitched breath. And Ianos wasn't all too surprised.

The 'system' that Matt had created was a long piece of metal inserted with cylindrical cases of light and drugs that marginally releases the needed liquids through the silicon tubes wrapped around Ianos' armor, and if they were to be completely used, Ace can easily replace them by materializing the empty tubes with new ones. Following the length of his spine, the system can easily be turned on and off if another source is given, saving precious resources when not in use. However, there were a couple of inconveniences when it comes to Matt's system. The first was that Ianos cannot spend prolonged period of time away from the Tower (or more specifically, Matt) as even though Ace can practically carry an infinite amount, there is only a limited amount of cases of drugs and light that is handed out to him and as such, he must constantly return to the Tower to resupply. Another is that currently, only Matt knows how the system functions alongside with having the only copy of the blueprints for said system and as such, the Medic is the only one knowledgeable of how to fix it if it gets damaged. Finally, another inconvenience is that in order to hold it in, metal rods have been drilled into the system and down into Ianos' spine, securing it in place however, this makes it almost impossible to remove. As such, if Ianos was to remove the tubes from his armor, it had to be manually done by Ace or himself before shutting the system off if using another source to ease the pain and to slow down the corruption of the Darkness. Although, Ianos had to admit, it made it easier to hide the life system, even when he dressed in casual clothes when forced into the City by the others.

"Doesn't this hurt?" Alarmed by Angel's question, Ianos then let out a scoff, "Compared to the pain of the Darkness devouring my Light, this is nothing."

Hearing the human Hunter go silent, Ianos opted to say nothing, but instead waited as he felt fingers trace down the length of the system, up until he felt them come to a pause near the middle of his spine, "How the fuck did it distort like this?"

"Considering I was just a 'tad' bit slow when running away from grenade, I can only imagine why."

Although he didn't necessarily mean to sound harsh to the human Hunter, Ianos couldn't help but snap at Angel for finding the damage done to his system. Now that he had figured out where it has been damaged and that it was 'distorted' out of place, Ianos can now feel the ache and the dull throbbing down the length of his spine, especially since the piece of equipment is initially 'attached' to said spine.

"Maybe we can force it back into place?"

As Ianos felt hands grip the edges of the system tightly, the Awoken Warlock's eyes widen before he abruptly turned around and shoved Angel's hands away, sensing the startled expression from behind the human Hunter's visor.

Flinching as pain throbbed from the sudden movement, Ianos then hissed out, "Don't mess with something that you know nothing about."

Ianos sensed Angel's further bewilderment, "What?"

"Matt's system is attached to Ianos' spine," Ace deadpanned and immediately, Ianos heard the room go silent, causing the latter to fidget as his Ghost added, "So, for now, he maybe able to move fine but who knows? If you try and force it back into place, you can cripple him and considering our current situation, we can't allow that."

Silence momentarily permeating through the room, it was only broken when Aleeza leaned in and let out a hum, tilting her head slightly as she stated, "This is a very unique system. Are there any others like this?"

"Matt told me that there were several other Guardians he had implanted the system onto," Ianos responded, "But personally, I have never met them."

"Huh, considering how successful it was on you, I would have thought that more would be equipped with it, not just 'several'."

Narrowing his gaze at the female Warlock, the latter must have sensed his glare for she took several steps back, clutching Prime protectively to her chest, "Despite the 'success' on me, the only reason I was able to make it was that Matt was able to get to me on time. For most, it's too late."

"Too late?"

Glowering at the female Awoken for her questions, Ianos opted, "Can we just continue on? The sooner we can get out of here, the sooner Matt can-"

It was then the pain that Ianos had forced to the side took a turn, the agony skyrocketing through the Awoken Guardian's senses as he lurched forward with a short scream. His ears ringing from the pain, the sounds of his comrades yelling were muffled and incoherent, causing Ianos to shake his head as he gritted his teeth and dugs his fingers into the floor in a vain attempt to ease the agony. Feeling the Darkness within his chest pulse steadily, Ianos took in a shaky breath before forcing his gaze towards Ace, his orange hues locking onto his Ghost's matching optic. Momentarily silent, Ianos' silent message was sent, Ace clearly understanding when the Ghost bobbed once and stating, "Usually I would be against this but since we're running out of options, I'll allow it." Ace then paused, hesitating before they added, "But remember, I can only keep the Darkness at bay for so long. As soon as we're back at the Tower, I'm bringing you back."

Weakly letting out a dry chuckle, Ianos nodded once before he reached to his side, removed his sidearm from its holster before pressing the barrel to the side of his head. Hearing the muffled sounds of his team shouting, Ianos wasted no time as he pressed pressure onto the trigger. A loud 'pop' rang in his ears before darkness entered his senses.

Xxxxx

"Why in the Traveler did he fucking do that!?"

Hearing Angel swear through her auditory sensors, Carina couldn't help but snap her gaze towards the human Hunter, the latter of which had taken several steps away from Ianos' prone form. When the female Titan hears the human Guardian curse, it usually means that he was under stress or completely taken aback from whatever occurrence that he had just witnessed. Considering the fact that Ianos had fired a bullet into his head with his own gun, the female Titan can only guess that this time, it was a mixture of both.

"Calm down!" All eyes turned towards Ace, the black and orange Ghost twirling their back fins in annoyance, "in order to slow down the process of the Darkness, 'I' have to carry him out."

"Say what?" Carina blurted out her bewilderment before she can stop herself, pausing as Ace turned and narrowed their orange optic at her, "I am saying that when killing himself, it enables me to go ahead and collect his Light alongside the Darkness that had infected it. However, once 'inside' of me, I can utilize 'my' light to keep the Darkness at bay. That way, when we finally make it to the Tower, the progress of the Darkness corrupting his Light wouldn't cause any further damage."

"But, wouldn't that affect you?"

Angel's question echoing through the darkness, it was then Carina heard Ace pause, the only sound was the humming of the Ghosts' hovering. This sent a wave of unease through the female Titan, her violet optics eyeing the Ghost suspiciously as instead of answering, Ace turned and spread out their parts, their triangular parts twirling around their core as they started to gather the male Awoken's light.

"Ace?"

Carina couldn't help but quietly snort to herself, remembering that whenever Angel asks a question, the human Hunter is determined to gain the answer he wants, whether be it good or bad. And from hearing the sigh that Ace emitted, Carina can tell that the black and orange Ghost knows this as well. As soon as Ianos' body materialized out of view and Ace locked their parts back into place, Carina watched as the Ghost's orange optic turned towards the others, "There is a risk of me getting corrupted not just when I hold Ianos' light within me but whenever I take in his light during resurrection."

Soaking in the Ghost's words, the female Titan's jaw dropped, her violet optics wide at the revelation. She had always wondered why Ianos always seems so intent on staying alive, Carina recalling several occasions where he refuses to eat a bullet whenever he gains a major injury, such as a wound to the side or a broken bone, opting for Ace to slowly heal the injury which had taken several days, despite the fact that resurrection could easily heal the serious wound in seconds. Now knowing that whenever Ace takes in Ianos' light for resurrection, they risk themselves of being corrupted by the darkness, Carina wonders what other habits that Ianos and Ace have that places themselves teetering on the edge of corruption.

"But we know the risks," The female Titan fixated her attention back onto Ace, "Which is why I try not to carry his light for long periods of time." Carina watched as the black and orange Ghost twirled their back fins once again in agitation, "So, if you do not mind. Can we please get out of here so I can resurrect Ianos back at the Tower where he can get proper treatment?"

Realizing the small amount of time they had to find the exit now had drastically shortened, Carina watched as the others quickly clambered to their feet and quickly started their way back down the dark passageway, the female Titan soon taking the back.

Xxxxx

"I saw them head over here," Seeing Zeno double jump over between some trees to shorten the distance, Pluto heaved out a sigh as he jumped once, grabbed the branch of the tree and swung over the ridge that was in their way. As soon as he landed, he heard clapping, prompting the Exo Hunter to turn his head towards the human Hunter.

"Nice," Zeno whistled, causing Pluto to shake his head before he walked over to the Gunslinger, "have any more tricks to show off?"

"Not at this moment," The Exo Hunter stated, "but first, where are this group of Guardians headed?"

Hearing Zeno chuckle behind his visor, Pluto then watched the younger Guardian nod his head towards the horizon, prompting the Exo Hunter to follow his gaze. Past the foliage and some trees, he can easily see the towering forms of buildings, the familiar moss and wilderness climbing along the sides.

"A group of six, just like you had guessed," Zeno started as he started his way towards the buildings, prompting Pluto to follow, "If I were to guess why you are looking for them, I would like to bet that one of them is 'Black Death', right?"

"His name is 'Ianos'." Pluto narrowed his red optics at his fellow Hunter, the latter of which shrugged sheepishly, "Just because others call him that doesn't mean you can."

"So, let me guess another thing, 'Ianos' doesn't like that name, does he?"

The Exo Hunter immediately let out a scoff at Zeno's words, "Death was enough. To be called a 'curse' just for the reason that every Fireteam he was set up with either disbands from a death in their team or that they are all kill in action and to hear that being whispered behind your back as you walk, only to be eventually be called, 'Black Death' for the reason that your light is 'tainted', I think that is insulting enough."

Pluto then heard his fellow Hunter let out a thoughtful hum, "Good point. So, he prefers the name Ianos then?"

"Yes," Pluto gave Zeno a blank stare, "If I did not make that obvious earlier."

It was then he heard the human Hunter let out a laugh, "My apologies if I had offended you earlier, 'Executioner', it is just that I had heard the rumors of your relationship between you and Ianos. So it is true then that you see him as your child?"

"A late partner and I always had wanted to raise a child," Pluto stated, pausing as Zeno walked over some debris before following the actions of his fellow Hunter, "however, considering the fact that the two of us were Guardians that the citizens still held a strong distrust towards the 'undead', let alone Exo, we couldn't find an orphan to take in."

Zeno then let out a snort, "So, I am guessing Ianos was the next best thing then?"

In response to the human Hunter's question, Pluto shrugged, "We just found him wandering the streets of the City, looking lost, and like as though he had given up on living." A sad smile formed onto Pluto's metallic features, "Neptune, my partner, he didn't want any of that. So, we just took him to our camp and from there, it was history."

Hearing Zeno go silent, Pluto opted to do the same, letting the sound of their footsteps brushing through the wet marsh as they slowly made their way closer to the crumbling buildings of the archives.

"Let me guess," The Exo Hunter shifted his attention back onto Zeno, "Your partner, this Neptune, he isn't around anymore, is he?"

Hearing Zeno's question, instead of immediately answering, Pluto once again opted to stay silent, letting the silence permeating through the air answer enough for his fellow Hunter.

"I had lost everything," Pluto finally answered, "My clan. My Fireteam. My family. My love." He then paused, hesitating, "The only thing I did not lose was Ianos, our 'Little Light'. So as a promise to myself and Neptune, I will ensure that Ianos is safe."

Silence once again permeated between the two Hunters, the two focusing on approaching the rotting City, pushing past any tall ferns and skipping through wet paths. During this moment of silence, Pluto quietly reprimanded himself. True, he considers the human Hunter a comrade in arms but the Exo Hunter felt like he given too much information about himself. And Pluto's years, there are plenty of Guardians who would slowly gain your trust only to assassinate you when you least expect it. The Exo Hunter recalls many moments where pro-human 'Risen' refuse to see their Exo and Awoken brothers and sisters as 'equals', preferring that only 'humans' have that right to access the power of the light. Pluto also recalls many a moment where he had taken the lives of such 'comrades'. Although he knows that it has been 'years' during those times, Pluto couldn't help but keep his guard up whenever he greets a new Guardian, especially when it comes to humans.

"So, any plans on how to track down your 'son'?"

Snapping out of his mind, Pluto gave Zeno a blank stare but instead of retorting, he responded, "If you want an honest answer, not sure."

Almost immediately, a laugh escaped the human Hunter, prompting Pluto to turn and give his fellow Hunter another blank stare.

"The great Executioner, unsure of how to track down his own 'son'?" Pluto swears that Zeno is smiling behind his visor as he turned and glanced back at him, "Despite all those years, you still have your moments, don't you, old man?"

"Firstly, don't call me 'old man'," The Exo Hunter heard Zeno let out a snort, "and secondly, I honestly didn't think I would get this far. I would have thought you wouldn't have seen anything, let alone leading me where you last saw Ianos and his team."

"Well, we still have a bit to go before we make it to where I last saw them enter one of the buildings," Zeno let out a hum, "If I remember correctly, that building is one of the many archives stationed here. Makes me wonder what they are looking for."

"An 'artifact' from what I can understand," Pluto stated, "the Vanguard seems very intent on getting their hands on it. Apparently, they believe it can make a huge difference for those living at the Last City."

A chuckle escaped Zeno, "That's what the Vanguard 'always' says about anything they believe is valuable." Hearing his fellow Hunter clear his throat, Pluto prepared himself as Zeno suddenly imitated a certain Warlock, "Guardian, there are signs of a power influx located here, in the middle of an area once called 'Austria', we believe it could Golden Age tech that have been activated." No sooner had Zeno finished his imitation, that Zeno resumed composure, letting out a snort as he added, "Turns out it was just some Fallen messing with the power grid. Charley and I barely made it out." Letting out a laugh, the human Hunter then stated, "Boy, I was in such bad shape when we made it out. Remember, Charley, how you both had to man our ship and heal me at the same time? Man, were you angry."

When Pluto saw Zeno glance over his shoulder, as if expecting the familiar form of his Ghost to be there, the Exo Hunter said nothing, remaining silent as the human Hunter's long strides slowed down to a halt, his shoulders slowly drooping when reality set back in.

"Ah," Was all Pluto heard Zeno say, "Sorry about that, just had a 'slight' moment of 'good times', if you know what I mean?"

Instead of responding verbally, Pluto nodded once, a sign for Zeno to once again move forward, leading the Exo Hunter towards their destination. Honestly, this wasn't the first-time Pluto had seen Zeno talking to 'air', recalling several other occasions where the human Hunter would turn and talk as if expecting their floating friend to be there, only to be hit that Charley was no longer with him. Hearing Nix send out a few beeps inside his helmet, Pluto reached up and tentatively press his fingers tips on the side of his visor, as if an attempt to brush his fingertips against the shell of his blind Ghost.

Seeing Zeno still grieving over the loss of his Ghost and the fact that Pluto himself had nearly lost Nix once, this ensures that the Exo Hunter will keep the blind Ghost safe. And to find a way to fix the damage that had been done.

Xxxxx

Spirit couldn't help but feel like the odds were against them. He is carrying Esther, the one who seems to know the way, unconscious in his arms, and Ianos, the most experienced Guardian in the group, is out of commission, his light currently being carried by his Ghost. Although normally Spirit wouldn't worry about such a thing, when he had heard that Ace can be corrupted by the very light he carries in his core, and that it is a possibility that they can lose Ianos to the Darkness, that just shot his concern sky high. It doesn't' help the fact that although they had trapped the Vex back in Prime's old lab, the possibility that they can appear at any moment doesn't help with Spirit's anxiety.

"What do Guardians do when off-duty?"

"We…work?"

"Is that all you do, work?"

Shifting his gaze towards the back of Aleeza and Carina, the Exo Warlock watched as Carina turned her gaze towards the female Warlock, the latter of which let out a small chuckle at the Golden Age AI in her palm.

"For us Guardians, there is no time to do anything but 'work'." Spirit heard Aleeza explain, "it is very rare for us to find any time for ourselves."

"Sounds like a tough life."

Watching the two female Guardians continue to talk to Prime, Spirit then shifted his attention towards the others. Angel had taken the front, being the only one besides Carina not holding any precious cargo, his hand cannon raise and ready to fire at anything that will do them harm. Carina and Aleeza were right behind the human Hunter, the reason for that the female Warlock held Prime and Carina became her de facto protector in case they were attacked. Next, was Ace, the Ghost deciding that staying behind Carina, the only Titan of the group, was the wisest decision in order to ensure to keep both themselves and their Guardian safe. Finally, Spirit was in the back, mainly for the reason that he was carrying Esther, and as such, is more encumbered than the others. How he was going to fight if they were to be attacked, he wasn't sure, but he knows for certain that if they were going to be attacked by the Vex or any other threats, he wasn't going to abandon the female Exo.

"Not good."

Hearing Angel's voice echo through the dark passageway, Spirit shifted his attention back onto the human Hunter, only to feel dread fill up in the pit of his 'stomach' as he saw Angel's Ghost light up a wall of stones, the white and red Ghost gliding around the broken stones in an attempt to find a way through.

"It wasn't like this," Spirit heard Angel say as the human Guardian walked over and placed a hand onto the stones, "It wasn't like this the last time I was here."

Frowning at the human's words, the Exo Warlock couldn't help but snap, "Well, considering that you haven't been here since you were last 'alive', I can safely say that things have definitely changed since you were last here."

It was then Spirit saw Angel turned his head towards him, sensing the narrowed gaze emitting behind the younger Guardian's visor.

"Well I'm sorry if I accidentally lead us to a dead end," The human Hunter retorted, "but considering the fact that I am currently going in out and out of memories during my years here back when I was 'alive', I can't exactly think clearly at this moment."

"You were depending on 'lost' memories to lead us out?" Spirit snapped at the human, "might as well bring us to a death sentence."

"Will you two cut that out?" Aleeza stepped in between the two, "Spirit, remember that thanks to Angel regaining his memories, we would have been stuck in that lab facing the Vex." Spirit flinched at the mention of the machines, "Who knows if we would have made it out alive. So, leave Angel alone and you," The female Warlock turned her attention towards the human Hunter, "Keep a clear mind and let us all find a way out of here."

"I found an opening."

All eyes turned towards Hope, the female Ghost shining her light near a pile of stones.

"Uhm, Hope," Angel slowly walked over to the white and red Ghost, "I don't see anything."

Watching the female Ghost twirl her back fins in annoyance, Hope then bobbed her body closer to the pile of stones, "Look closer."

Bewildered at Hope's actions, Spirit walked over to where the female Ghost shined her light, leaned over, and squinted. There, amongst the pile of stones, was a small gap, half the size of the white and red Ghost herself.

"Hope," Angel must have spotted the small gap, "That is too small for us to fit through. Are you implying to move the stones? Because if we do-"

"No, no," Spirit once again watched as the female Ghost twirled her back fins in annoyance, "Think about it, who here is small enough to fit through a gap this small?"

Blinking several times at the white and red Ghost, Spirit's optics widen as realization set in, slowly turning his gaze towards Carina's shoulder and there, hovering with his optic shining brightly, was Spears, the violet and green Ghost twirling his back parts in puzzlement as everyone's gaze shifted towards him.

"Spears," Carina breathed out her Ghost's name, "You can fit. You can get out of here and find us help."

Immediately, Spirit watched as the male Ghost reeled back, his violet optic widening before he let out a series of beeps and whistles.

"Come on Spears, you're quick enough to avoid any enemy fire you encounter," Carina assured, "plus, no offense to the other Ghosts, you're the fastest one here. Who else we are to send that can fit through the gap and find a way out?"

Silence permeating through the air, Spirit kept his lime green optics on the small form of Spears, the Ghost twirling his back fins silently before a silent whistle emitting from the Ghost, his parts drooping in defeat.

In response, Carina gave her Ghost a nod, "We're depending on you, Spears."

Hearing the Ghost let out one final whistle, Spirit then watched as Spears glided towards Hope before shifting gears and glided right into the gap, immediately disappearing from everyone's view. Once again, silence permeated through the air, all eyes kept on the gap as if already expecting the violet and green Ghost to return.

"So, since we're just standing here," All eyes shifted towards Aleeza, "Can I ask who you are, Angel?"

"I'm a Hunter."

"Angel…"

Spirit snorted at the human Hunter's answer and from the faint chuckling from Carina, he can guess the female Titan found his response amusing as well. The sigh from Aleeza says otherwise.

"You know what I mean, Angel. This passageway. Back with the console. With 'them'." Aleeza then held out her palm, the red and blue form of Prime blinking bewilderedly in her grasp, "Have you been here before, Angel? Back in your previous life?"

That's when Spirit sensed Angel's mood turn serious, his joking expressions slowly fading from the human Hunter.

"I did say before that I lived on Venus," The human Guardian responded, "And I did say that the entrance to Prime's lab was familiar."

"And...?"

"If you want an honest answer, I am not quite a hundred percent sure."

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Look, yes, I know how to speed up the process of 'cleansing' on Prime and yes, I knew about the passageway. Problem is, that is all I got." Spirit then watched Angel nod his head towards the stones, "The only other thing I got is just having visions of people. Humans specifically using this passageway as a short cut to reach the area where we entered, which in turn cuts the time to reach the other archives." He then heaved out a sigh, "But I do have to admit, the longer we stay here, the more it seems to be familiar."

"That is what I was trying to say earlier." All eyes turned towards Prime, the Golden Age AI expanding their parts slightly to make themselves more comfortable in Aleeza's palm, "Are you perhaps, related to Doctor Shim?"

Watching Angel pause, Spirit couldn't help but fixate his gaze onto the human Hunter, curiosity clear in his gaze as the Hunter crossed his arms and leaned on one side.

"That name sounds…familiar." Angel admitted, "but nothing really clicks."

"Then perhaps let me tell you a bit about Doctor Shim." Spirit then shifted his gaze back towards Prime, "maybe that will jumpstart your memory."

Silence once again permeated between the Guardians, the humming of their Ghosts are the only sound echoing through the dark passage as Angel pondered on Prime's words.

"Go on."

"Doctor Shim was one of the scientists who was part of the Ishtar Collective." Prime started, "He was one of the few primary scientists who were studying the Vex?"

That caught Spirit's attention, "Studying the Vex? Who would want to study those creepy ass machines?"

"If you want an honest answer, I am not quite sure." Spirit then heard Prime let out a snort, "But you know scientists, they want to know 'everything', even if it is dangerous. And amongst the scientists who are willing to place themselves into danger is Doctor Shim."

"Studying the Vex, huh?" Spirit heard Angel let out a hum, "Anything else?"

"I have only met him only a couple of occasions." Prime admitted, prompting Spirit to give the Golden Age AI a blank stare, "however, mainly to visit the scientist that mainly worked with me."

"Really?" Spirit blinked, "Why?"

Prime moved their parts up and down, as if to mimic a shrug, "Not sure, every time I see him enter, he would walk in, give the scientist who was supposed to watch over me an embrace, have a short conversation and then would leave moments later."

"Wait, what's the name of the woman that he would visit?"

It was then, the for first time since Spirit had watched Prime inhabit Nora's body, that a look of surprise flashed onto Prime's optic, the latter of which blinked several times in surprise before the Golden Age AI asked, "How did you know the scientists that Doctor Shim visited was female?"

Turning his lime green optics towards Angel, Spirit can easily sense the hesitation emit from the male Hunter, watching the latter fidget before he responded, "If I am correct, then the scientist that you are talking about, she is my mother."

* * *

 _And I am going to end it here! I would say more but it is late and I have work. So, until the next chapter! Peace!_


	53. Seeking Help

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Seeking Help_**

 _Heads up, this chapter is going to be short compared to the other chapters. Why? Because if I put in the next part of the story, it's going to be a lot more than just 6k-7k words. As such, please enjoy this short chapter lol.  
_

 _Thanks to Guest, Lazypersons, TheIronNightstalker, and AAA for the reviews!_

 _ Guest \- Pffft, pretty much lol. Almost C:_

 _ Lazpersons \- Okay, good, I was trying to make it that way when I approached your Guardian with the mention of Charley lol. I honestly do believe that relationships between Guardians and Ghosts are much more than just being 'partners' and I want to approach it as losing a family member, not just a 'tool', which I see alot in some of the Destiny fanfictions I've read on here. Anyways, thanks! Honestly, I wanted a mix of light and ark in my stories, especially in a setting like Destiny - in a war setting, there has to be some dark parts lol._

 _ AAA \- Thank you! ^_^_

* * *

" _Remember little one, stay by my side."_

 _He cannot understand why his mother would always say this. He always stayed by her side since he first started coming here and not once had he wandered off. Nonetheless, the way his mother would turn her hazel hues towards him, her eyes filled with concern and worry, the child would simply pull his hood closer over his eyes, wrap his hand around hers, and follow his mother to her lab._

" _Good day, Doctor Anand."_

 _The familiar greetings rang in the child's ears as he pressed closer to his mother's side, their green eyes eyeing the surrounding scientists warily as they turned, smiled, and waved at the child, prompting the latter to let out a nervous smile and return a wave of his own._

 _When the child then felt his mother come to a pause, he then gripped his mother's hand even further as he watched her press some buttons on a panel next to a door before pressing her hand on it. Watching as a light shifted up and down around her palm before the door shifted open, it was then as they stepped inside and the entrance slid close behind them, the child then felt his mother slip her grip out of his hands and state, "It is safe now, Angel."_

 _Hearing the cue that all is safe, the little one reached up and pulled his hood down to his shoulders, his green eyes beaming as he rushed towards the console in the middle of the room and leaned against it, his gaze signaling he was readying to learn and ready to go. However, that was before the doors slid open again, causing the child to abruptly turn towards the entrance._

" _Doctor Shim."_

 _The familiar name rang in the child's ears as he watched his mother approach the man that he had come to know through his short life, watching her come to a short pause as she came to a slow halt near her fellow doctor._

" _Doctor Anand."_

 _The male doctor returned her greeting but, just like before, silence permeated between the two, causing the child to tilt his head in bewilderment as he witnesses the same event for a countless time. Then, just as the child predicted, Doctor Shim nodded his head once, a sign that he was taking his leave, turned his eyes towards the child, gave him a nod as a small gesture of goodbye, before exiting the room._ Crossovers

 _Silence momentarily permeating through the lab, the child's mother finally turned and smiled at him, "You ready for the lesson for today, Angel?"_

 _The child nodded excitedly._

 _Today, he learned of the hidden passageway in the back of the lab._

 _Xxxxx_

 _He was older. Less naïve. More aware._

 _He notices the way Doctor Shim's eyes glazes over his mother's face, the familiar sign of affection clear in his hues. The same goes for his mother, the way her hazel eyes gives him glances of longing, occasionally reaching out with her hands and intertwining her fingers around Doctor Shim's._

 _Angel knows that their daily ritual is something more than a simple greeting._

 _Brushing his thoughts to the side, he instead attempted to pay attention to his mother's lesson._

 _Today, he learned how to input the controls on how to cleanse the memory banks of Exo._

 _Xxxxx_

 _The same green hues and black strands, the same olive skin. From these clues, he knows that his mother and Doctor Shim had spent several nights together, at least, before his birth._

 _As such, he knows why his mother was so adamant of keeping him near her side when he was a child, keeping a hood tightly over his eyes to hide his features when he was naïve to the world. It was widely known throughout the scientific system that Doctor Shim was a married man and an expecting father. His reputation would be marred if anyone knew of his mistress. And his bastard child._

 _When he confronted his mother of his conclusion, she instead evaded the question and continued on with his lesson._

 _Today, he learns how to speed up the cleansing process._

 _Xxxxx_

 _Doctor Shim was dead._

 _The doctor had ventured too far into his research with the Vex and it had not only taken his life but the life of his team as well._

 _Despite his insistence, his mother made it clear that they were not going to attend the funeral; he knows that she is too fearful of their secret being uncovered, despite her denial._

 _Instead, he learned how to program data for newly created Exo._

 _Xxxxx_

 _His mother was furious._

 _He had taken DNA samples between himself and Doctor Shim's and compared the two. It had been a perfect match._

 _The tears in her eyes as she screamed, shouted, denying the results, exclaiming they were lies before falling into a pit of acceptance, that her child knows the truth that she had denied for years._

 _He comforted her that day._

 _Xxxxx_

 _She still loved him._

 _He can tell from the way his mother would stare blankly outside when they would use the tracks back to their home, the dazed look in her eyes clear she was living in the past. Even when he would tentatively touch her would, she wouldn't respond, only when their ride would pause at their stop would she turned and smile at him._

" _What do you want for dinner?" she would ask._

 _He spends dinner with his mother that night._

 _Xxxxx_

 _His mother was losing grip on reality._

" _Is that you, Doctor Shim?"_

 _He would have to shake her repeatedly to convince her that he was not the doctor that she had loved. But each time, he would see the hurt and loss in her eyes whenever she would snap back into reality. However, he was not Doctor Shim. He was not his father._

 _He watched over her that day._

 _Xxxxx_

 _The darkness was here._

 _He had wanted to escape but his mother refused to leave._

" _His work is here. I cannot abandon it."_

 _He relented, up until the creatures with the glowing eyes appeared at their door. It was then he had tried dragging her to escape but by then, it was too late. The monsters latched onto both him and his mother and the last thing he recalls was his mother's screams._

 _He died that day._

 _Xxxxx_

Spears can't believe that Carina convinced him to squeeze through the gap in the rubble. Alone. And without aid. And surrounded by enemies. Well, maybe surrounded by enemies. No, 'most' likely surrounded by enemies.

Letting out a groan, Spears continued to shine his light down the dark passageway, weaving past crumbling stones and debris. He must admit, time wasn't very kind to this part of the passageway. Something or 'someone' collapsed part of the tunnel intentionally, an attempt to cut off something that was chasing them down, if Spears had to guess. And as such, as time passed, the passageway slowly turned more unstable, the only think keeping the passageway from completely caving in on itself are the thick wall of moss and vines. Guess it was the right decision to send the smallest of their group through the gap for help.

Wedging himself between pieces of stone, it was then Spears spied a small ray of sunshine beaming between cracks. Twirling his back fins excitedly, the violet and green Ghost glided over to the exit, coming to a halt as he sighted familiar crumbling buildings and wet marsh lands. Recognizing the overgrown trees and mounds in his sight, Spears quickly went to work. Gliding just above the marsh, the male Ghost turned his violet optic wildly to his surroundings in an attempt to sight the familiar heavy armored form of Titans, the caped form of a Hunter, or a cloaked form of a Warlock. Anyone to help his Guardian and the others escape the underground prison.

Moments later, he spotted movement amongst a clear marshland.

He spotted the familiar cloaked form of a Warlock patrolling nearby, his dark colored coat ensuring that he blended in with the Venus landscape. It almost caused Spears to miss them. Upon closer inspection as he closed the distance between himself and the Warlock, he was male and wore armor based off of the infamous Iron Lords. In other words, if Ianos saw said Warlock, he would throw a fit. Nonetheless, Spears glided over to the Guardian, his back fins twirling in agitation. If Ianos mutters out his frustration, so be it, but Spears would rather listen to the Awoken Warlock vent than letting his Guardian die in the underground. At least, that was before the Warlock turned and aimed his weapon at the small Ghost.

Letting out a small squeak, Spears shifted his parts closer to his core, backing away slightly as the Warlock suddenly reeled back, his expression hidden by his visor as the familiar star shaped form of his Ghost materialized over his shoulder.

"What in the Traveler – What is a Ghost doing out here out in the open!?" The violet and green Ghost watched as the Warlock lowered their weapon, glancing around his surroundings before adding, "And where is your Guardian, Ghost? Or do you even have one?"

Spears gave the Warlock a blank stare, _{"If you think I didn't have a Guardian, wouldn't you expect me to be searching instead of coming to you, you dolt?"}_

"Hey now," The male Ghost turned his optic towards the Ghost hovering above the Warlock's shoulder, "That's not very nice."

"You were able to understand it?" The Warlock turned his gaze towards his Ghost, "What did it say?"

"…Nothing important, Fin."

Letting out a snort at his fellow Ghost's reaction, Spears then watched as Fin leaned forward, as if to inspect the violet and green Ghost, "You have a Guardian. I can tell from your light." The Warlock then leaned back, tilting his head in bewilderment, "What are you doing here? And where is your Guardian?"

 _{"That is exactly why I came to you."}_ Spears deadpanned, _{"My Guardian and several others have gotten trapped underground. They need assistance from the outside in order to free themselves."}_

"What?" Fin turned his gaze towards his Ghost, the latter of which relayed Spear's message before the former returned his attention back onto Spears, "They can't break themselves out?"

Another blank stare from Spears, _{"Well they can, if they want to be buried alive."}_

Listening to Fin's Ghost relay the message to him, Spears then suddenly saw the Warlock lift his weapon, the black and white pattern on it quite recognizable as Fin checked the clip. Then sensing Fin's gaze back on him, Spears waited until the Warlock gave him a nod and stated, "Lead the way."

Blinking once, Spears then bobbed once before turning around and attempted to lead the way. That was before a buzzing but familiar sensation brushed against the back of his shell.

"Fallen!"

Hearing Fin's Ghost let out a shout, Spears abruptly turned in time to see his fellow Ghost materialize back into the safety of their Guardian's armor while as the latter let out a few slurs of curses.

"Stay behind me!" The violet and green Ghost heard Fin shout, "I think your Guardian and the others might have to wait!"

Xxxxx

Spears was taking a while and Aleeza can tell that Carina was getting agitated because of this. She can feel the female Titan's grip squeeze around her fingers on occasion and the way she would keep glancing towards the small gap that said Ghost had escaped through, hoping to sight the familiar violet and green shell to reappear back into her sight. Aleeza just hopes that the male Ghost will return soon and with help.

Shifting comfortably against Carina's side, Aleeza then felt the female Titan lean her head against her shoulder, prompting the female Warlock to then place her head on top of the female Exo's as her gaze shifted towards the rest of their team.

Not much time had passed since Spears left to seek help but nonetheless, the team had taken the opportunity to rest. And think.

Angel was farthest away from the group, hidden in a corner of debris with his knees up to his chest and his face buried into his knees, his hands gripping his head. Aleeza can see Hope hovering just above his shoulders, her light blinking steadily as a sign that she was easing his pain. The human Hunter was regaining his memories and from what the female Warlock can tell, they were none too pleasant; his quiet sobs had echoed through the passageway moments earlier. But now, he was silent, the sound of Hope humming softly the only sound in the darkness.

Spirit had taken refuge on the wall opposing to Aleeza and Carina, Esther's prone form lying in his lap. Aleeza can tell he was anxious as well, from the way he was picking away at the hood of the female Hunter's cloak and his gaze constantly shifting back and forth from the rubble and down the passageway. The female Warlock knows that Spirit was wary of the Vex attacking them at any point and in honesty, Aleeza doesn't blame him. The machine race is known for their ability to teleport and the female Awoken does not doubt that they can easily make their way down here.

Ace had made themselves comfortable in another part of the hall, snuggling into a crook of some debris as they muttered to themselves, most likely talking to Ianos. What they were talking about, Aleeza was unsure but considering that time had passed and they still were carrying the corrupted light of their Guardian, the female Warlock wouldn't be surprised if they're slightly uneasy. She had invited them over to lay next to her and Carina but the black and orange Ghost had refused and had opted for the area they are currently laying in now.

Finally, both Aleeza and Carina had cuddled together on one side of the passageway, intertwined with each other while Aleeza keeps Prime close in her grip, the Golden AI have long ago powered down, proven from the way their white optic blinked steadily as the group waited.

"Do you think Spears is alright?"

Aleeza blinked behind her visor at Carina's question, lifting her head from her lover's and shifted her gaze towards the female Exo as she asked, "Why do you ask?"

"You have admit, it has been a while," The female Warlock heard Carina let out a heavy sigh, "If he had found help, he would have returned by now."

Smiling behind her visor, Aleeza leaned in and tapped the front of her helmet on top of Carina's head, an attempt to mimic a kiss, "You know how Venus can be. It maybe small but the area is known for its treacherous terrain, especially for Guardians. Who knows, he may had found help but Spears may have found it in an area that is not easily accessible."

Feeling Carina sink lower into her side, the female Warlock waited until she felt the female Exo nod against her shoulder, "Perhaps you're right." Aleeza cannot help but sense doubt in her lover's words.

"Okay, what's taking him so long?"

It was Ace who broke the silence, all eyes turning towards the black and orange Ghost as the latter hovered out of their spot, spinning their back fins in agitation. Apparently, Carina wasn't the only one who noticed Spears' long absence.

"He should have been back by now." Aleeza watched as Ace started to glide back and forth in the passageway, "shouldn't he be back by now if he had taken this long? Spears is the quickest out of all of us."

"Be patient," It was Spirit who spoke next, "he should be back soon." The female Warlock then heard him hesitate, "Hopefully."

That's when Aleeza sensed the dark stare the Ghost gave the Exo Warlock, "Be patient? I can't afford to be patient! Especially now!" Ace's parts fidgeted against their core as they continued to pace, "I can only keep the Darkness at bay for so long! The longer we stay here! The more of a chance 'I' will get corrupted!"

"Can you not just resurrect him then?" The glare the Ghost had given the male Exo darkened even further, "If I did, then he would have woken up in agony. That system on his back is what is keeping him alive 'and' keeping the pain at bay. With it damaged, neither function is currently doings its work and as such, resurrecting him is the last thing I want to do."

"But you just said yourself the longer you keep him inside you like that, the higher of a chance that you get corrupted," Spirit retorted, "can you not just resurrect him and then when you two regain your strength or at least some of it, Ianos can just kill himself again and you take in his light again."

"How dare you even incite that!?" The anger in Ace's voice resounded through the dark passageway, causing everyone present to reel back; even Angel lifted his head just slightly to fixate his gaze onto the black and orange Ghost, "It might be easy for you to eat a bullet but for a murder victim like Ianos, that is not an easy feat!"

"Excuse me?" Carina's question echoed throughout the passageway, "Murder victim?"

"…. Well fuck," Aleeza watched as Ace scrunched their parts closer to their core, "forget you heard me even mention that."

"But Ianos? A murder victim?" The female Warlock felt Carina's head move from her shoulders, "He remembered something and he only told you?"

"It was something very traumatic and personal alright," Aleeza heard Ace snap, "He didn't want to burden you with something like that."

"But a murder victim?" The female Warlock can hear the black and orange Ghost let out a groan at Carina's repetitiveness, "and he remembers his death?" The female Titan paused, "Is that why he is so disoriented whenever he gets back up on his feet? Because he was a murder victim?"

A heavy sigh escaped Ace; a sign of defeat from the Ghost, "That's the theory but as before, we just believe that tolerance of 'dying' still differs between each individual." A scoff then escaped the Ghost, "The two of us still are in disbelief that all of you are able to easily get back on your feet and rush back into the fray when it takes Ianos several minutes to regain his bearings."

In response to the Ghost's words, Aleeza let out a snort, "You sure about that? Every time we go on missions and on those very rare occasions where he dies and you bring him back on his feet, he seems to be alright."

"You mean tossing a Nova bomb immediately after resurrection followed by blindly rushing in with nothing but his sidearm?" The female Warlock pondered on Ace's words, "No, that's him being both disoriented and pissed off at the thing that killed him. That is not being 'alright'."

Aleeza sheepishly smiled at the black and orange Ghost's words, "Nonetheless, I don't think we want to resurrect him only for him to use his light in here just because he has yet to regain his bearings. I don't think this passageway is stable enough to handle something like that."

A snort escaped the female Exo next to her side, "Yeah, and I don't think I want to experience being buried alive, 'especially' without my Ghost here."

Hearing Carina mention her Ghost once more, Aleeza gave her hand a comforting squeeze, prompting her partner to do the same, "I guess this means we have no other choice but to continue to wait."

Watching the black and orange Ghost return to their spot amongst a pile of debris while grumbling, Aleeza then fixated her gaze back onto the small gap amongst the rubble that blocked off their exit. She then silently prays that Spears will return soon. For both their team and Carina's sake.

Xxxx

 _{"I'm in a happy place! I'm in a happy place!"}_

"Can you be quiet!? You're distracting me here!"

In any other circumstance, Spears would have easily let out a retort, snapping back at the Warlock for his words. But right now, amongst enemy fire with the Guardian, his living shield, constantly moving around, Spears had no choice but to reluctantly comply as he followed the male Warlock like a shadow. Keeping his optic out towards enemies behind Fin in case any of the Fallen tried to be sneaky, Spears had to repeatedly force the habit of materializing into the Warlock's armor for protection.

Now he knows that it is possible for multiple Ghosts to materialize into a single Guardian's armor but for the Guardian themselves, it wouldn't be a pleasant experience. Not only would they sense a light that is 'different' from theirs residing within them, but also the fact that two different information would be blinking on their visor. Spears maybe separated from Carina currently but he still holds the stats and amount of supplies she has in her vault and as such, her information would be exposed on Fin's visor alongside with his own. As such, in a gunfight, it would be a disaster. So, despite that there is gunfire everywhere, Spears opted to shadow the Guardian until the Warlock clears out the area and hopefully soon, especially since they're out in the open. Which adds into the next fact that they're not in a safe area.

Of all the places Spears had to find Fin, it had to be an area clear of any cover, which includes mounds and trees, and it doesn't help that the Fallen had enclosed around the Guardian, signaling that they had been tracking the Warlock down for some time. For what reason, Spears is unsure but he wouldn't be surprised if it's for the reason that they were after his gear and if possible, his Ghost; nothing is more treasured amongst the Fallen than finding a Ghost intact. Now that he thinks about it, perhaps the reason why the Fallen are more aggressive is for the reason that there are now 'two' Ghosts on the line and with this in thought, Spears couldn't help but let out a groan.

 _{"Traveler, please let us make it out of here alive."}_

That's when Spears felt Fin stumble back and let out a grunt, prompting the violet and green Ghost to glance back, just in time to see the Warlock's shields flicker and ripple before shimmering back into stability.

"Okay! That's it! I'm done playing it easy!"

At first bewildered by the Warlock's words, it was only when Spears saw the familiar sparks of arc energy spring to life around Fin's shoulders that he finally understood; as such, he slid behind Fin's collar to gain a better grip. Within seconds, Spears felt Fin spring forward, his movements faster and felt him gliding as arc energy surged through his arms. Awed as arc light easily lashed out towards any unfortunate Fallen that gets into range, devouring them into nothing but energy, Spears felt a small spark of hope; perhaps there is a chance that they will get out of here and get to the others on time.

Feeling Fin's arc energy slowly die soon after, Spears took the opportunity to glide out of the Warlock's collar, just in time to witness the Guardian land back on his feet and his weapon back in his hands. That's when the familiar sound of a wire rifle echoed through the air.

The sniper shot easily shattered through Fin's shields, searing through his helmet and his head as his body lurched back to follow through with the shot, his weapon dropping from his arms as his body went limp, teetered back and forth, and then finally, fell forward. No long after, the familiar from of his Ghost materialized into view.

His optic wide, Spears glanced back at the Fallen and then back at Fin's Ghost, the latter of which already had spread out their parts to resurrect their Guardian, exposing their core as their light swirled around them. Watching his fellow Ghost prep their Guardian for revival, Spears spun their back fins in agitation as he glided closer, keeping his parts close to his core as he watched the Fallen close in, their tongue echoing through the marsh as they closed the distance.

 _{"Can't you resurrect him faster?"}_

Spears can sense the annoyance from Fin's Ghost, the latter of which spun their parts quickly over their core but nonetheless, said nothing, their focus entirely on resurrecting their fallen Guardian. Agitated, Spears focused their optic onto the incoming Fallen once more, only to freeze.

From his perspective, Spears can easily see a Fallen Vandal aim their wire rifle at Fin's Ghost, the familiar light of energy building up at the point of their rifle, signaling they're preparing to fire. Why the Vandal decided to destroy a Ghost was beyond Spears' understanding, he guesses that one Ghost is enough of a treasure, plus, if he recalls correctly from one of Angel's lectures, that killing a Guardian is a sure enough way of ranking up through the Fallen Hierarchy. So, gaining a Ghost 'and' killing a Guardian, he guesses that's one of the best circumstances for a low ranking Fallen to gain leeway through the ranks.

The thought of a fellow Ghost dying in front of him glazing through his mind, Spears couldn't help but flinch as old memories flowed. It had taken him years to find Carina and during those years, he had bumped into several other Ghosts along the way. Some of which, he had witness being taken down by rivaling Warlords or allies of the Darkness. Now here, where not only a Ghost but a Guardian is potentially going to lose their life, Spears couldn't handle the thought. As such, right when the familiar shot of the wire rifle rang through the air, Spears glided right in front of Fin's Ghost, seeing the wide-eyed look in their optic as he felt the shot make contact.

It wasn't the first-time Spears had been hit by enemy fire. After all, he had lost his voice to a Fallen attack before. Nonetheless, the pain was still agonizing, the heated shot bursting through his shell and he felt it graze against his core. Then, just as soon as the pain diminished, darkness overwhelmed him.

* * *

 _Short chapter ends at a cliffhanger! See you next week! :D_

 _Fin belongs to Fin The Demi God_

 _ Fin \- Sorry if your character seems out of character but you didn't really give me much to go on and as such, I tried my best._


	54. Titan Carina-23 and Ghost Spears

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Titan Carina-23 and Ghost Spears of Fireteam Redacted_**

 _That moment where you know what to type but typing it out just doesn't come to you. Just me? Oh, okay well, anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews! Really appreciate it!  
_

 _ Lazypersons \- Aaah weeeeell. Things do get worse but not in the way you expected. (cough)I'msorry(cough)_

 _ The Great Wolf 117 \- (sweats profusely) Weeeeeellll...No promises...(coughs) Thanks for the review!_

* * *

Pluto had used void light ever since he had learned how to attune to it, mainly for the reason that whenever he loses his temper, it wouldn't rampage out of control. It was a wholly different story when it came to solar light, the flames easily bursting forth from his body whenever rage consumes his emotions. After he became a Nightstalker, the rage of his flames were mainly kept in check.

Until now.

When both he and Zeno made it through the brush only to witness Spears being shot out of the air, Pluto felt the rekindling of flames burn in his hands. And the Golden Gun came to life. The edges of his vision burning with solar light, Pluto shifted the flaming hand cannon in his hands before he took aim and fired. Three shots. That's all the Exo Hunter's light allowed when wielding the soar light weapon. He took out three of the scavengers. It was enough to catch the Fallen's attention.

Their screeching cries echoed through the marshes as they stopped their approach on their targets, slowly turning their weapons upon the two hunters as Pluto's solar light faded from his grasp. And it was then, he heard two shots being fired from behind, witnessing two of the Fallen burst into flames. Turning around, Pluto watched as Zeno fired one Golden Gun after another, far passing the three shots from each pistol he held in his hands as each individual Fallen was picked off.

"Give me a warning when you do that," Pluto started, "You almost hit me!"

"A 'naturalborn' Gunslinger like me?" The Exo Hunter senses the grin behind Zeno's visor, "Nah, you're just in the way."

If the two of them were in any other situation, Pluto would have found his words amusing. However, with Spears having been shot out of the sky plus another Guardian's life is in danger, Pluto couldn't find the humor in it momentarily. However, even though he wanted to take out his weapon and fire at the Fallen, Pluto opted to wait until Zeno fired away and watching the guns burst with flames with every shot.

Naturalborn Guardians are rare, those who are naturally attuned to one light to the point where they manipulate it where only other Guardians can dream of. As such, such rare Guardians are legends and myths amongst not only the Guardians themselves, but the enemy of the Soldiers of Light as well. And from the way Pluto was witnessing the scavengers disperse after seeing a Hunter wield not one but two Golden Guns and firing away as if it were nothing, the Exo Hunter couldn't help but think that the Fallen are now convinced that a legend is now reality. In short, by the time Zeno let the solar light fade from his hands, the Fallen had ran off, the fearful sight of a dual wielding Guardian enough to cause them to scatter. This gives a clear path towards Spears and the other Guardian.

By the time both Zeno and Pluto had made their way towards them, the Guardian's Ghost had already resurrected said Guardian, the latter of which was now on one knee and delicately picking up something off the hearth. It was only when the two Hunters closed the distance when Pluto recognizes the violet and green shell of Spears in his fellow Guardian's grasp.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." It was the Guardian, a Warlock, who spoke, the latter of which pushed himself onto his feet as he cradled Spears' form in his arms, "He was just leading me to his Guardian and others and I just…"

Faint whistling them emitted from the Warlock's grasp, prompting Pluto to reach over, grab the Warlock by the shoulder, and twirl him around. It was Spears, the once vibrant violet optic of the Ghost now flickering as he shifted his gaze towards Pluto and Zeno. His shell, once well-polished and taken care of by Carina's hand, was now burned and charred from the upper right area; an obvious sign from where he was hit.

Another faint whistle emanated from Spears, prompting Pluto to take in a breath, "Nix, do you understand what Spears is saying?"

"It is kind of faint." Nix's voice echoed within his helmet, "What I can grab is: Carina. Others. Underground. Vex. Trouble. Help. Find. And he keeps repeating."

Momentarily silent as he took in his Ghost's words, Pluto then reached out and without warning, snatch Spears' broken form out of the Warlock's grasp.

"Hey!"

"Thank you for everything, Warlock-"

"Name is Fin."

"Thank you Fin, but my friend and I can take over from here."

"Wait a minute," Pluto sighed at Fin's words, "I was partially responsible for this Ghost being damaged. The least I can do is –"

"What you 'can' do is head to the Tower and find Guardians who are willing to help." The Exo Hunter watched Fin reel back from his words, "Zeno and I may not be enough help to aid this team of Guardians in trouble. We may need more hands if things are worse than they are." When Pluto earned only a blank stare from the Warlock, he narrowed his optics, "You hear me? Head back to the Tower and get some help. Understand?"

It was then Pluto sensed the glare emitting behind Fin's visor but the Exo Hunter brushed it off; he had earned plenty of those through his long years. In return, Pluto gave the Guardian a glare of his own, just enough to cause the Warlock to let out a scoff and state, "I'll be back."

Watching Fin turn and walk away as he held his weapon in his hands, Pluto then felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder; he didn't have to glance back to know that it was Zeno.

"You sure that was a good idea to send him away like that?" The Exo Hunter can sense the frown of disapproval behind his fellow Hunter's visor, "He is already here and it wouldn't hurt to have another hand with us. By the time he returns with help, it maybe already too late."

"I prefer if it's just us," Pluto can sense the bewildered stare from Zeno, "They may seem accepting now, but there are still plenty of Guardians back at the Tower who would rather do him harm."

A pause, "Let me guess, you're worried about Ianos?"

Silent, Pluto instead opened up his palm, revealing the broken form of Spears, the violet and green Ghost continuing to let out faint whistles.

"Spears, can you hear me?" From the way the small Ghost suddenly paused and shifted his broken optic up at him was answer enough for the Exo Hunter, "Carina and the others. Do you know where they are?"

Momentarily silent, Pluto then jumped as Spears slowly hovered out of his palm, bobbing up and down on occasion before he let out a faint chirp, slowly turned, and glided across the marsh. With his broken fins, the Exo Hunter was surprised to see the violet and green Ghost able to glide in a straight line, occasionally leaning towards one side but slowly fixing his path.

"Is he going to be alright?"

Turning his gaze towards his fellow Hunter, Pluto couldn't help hesitate, sensing the concern oozing behind Zeno's visor. In retrospect, the Exo Hunter can easily understand why the human Hunter was worried about Spears; he had lost his Ghost and the thought that another Guardian would lose theirs is nearly incomprehensible. But at this stage, what can the two do? Despite their best efforts, the best they can do is at least prepare Spears' shell, which doesn't include the damage done to his core and inner workings. And how else are they going to locate the others if they take Spears to a safe area? Only the small Ghost knows where Carina and the others are.

"We'll keep him safe," Pluto easily senses the doubt from Zeno, "if things go awry, we'll pull away. But for now, we follow."

Watching his fellow Hunter give him a blank stare, a sigh of defeat finally emitted from the human Hunter followed by a reluctant nod, signaling to Pluto to follow the wandering Ghost.

Xxxxx

The Vex were here.

Carina didn't want to believe it when Ace suddenly perked up, their orange optic wide as they shouted out the machines' approach. But the familiar buzzing sound of them teleporting down the passageway followed by the mechanical clanking of their limbs grinding against each other was enough to push away any of the female Exo's doubt. As such, just like the others, Carina had jumped to her feet, her weapon in her hands.

And in good time.

No sooner had the familiar form of a Vex Goblin materialized into view when a hail of bullets penetrated its copper form. The dark passageway lit up with bullets as more Vex came into view, their red glowing optics quickly fading as the Guardians aimed at their vulnerable cores. It was not long after when the Goblins were followed in by its larger brethren.

Although it was Carina's first time facing the Vex, she wasn't scared of either Goblin or Hobgoblin. They were easy to take down, a single shot to the white core embedded in their chests enough to take them out; in Angel's case, a nice sniper shot to the chest. It was the larger Vex that gives Carian a sense of uneasiness. The Minotaurs she soon learned have shields, proven from the fact when she fired her auto rifle at the larger Vex only for her bullets to bounce off the energies surrounding them. It would take an entire clip just for her to clear the Minotaur's shields before being able to finally take it out. And even then, it would take a substantial amount of firing to even break through the armored form of the larger Vex.

"Praetorians!"

Hearing Aleeza's voice echo off the walls, Carina couldn't help but let a sense of dread sink into her chest. Normally in any other circumstance, the female Titan would have jumped at the chance of a new enemy, a new challenge. However, after seeing the Praetorians for the first time back in Prime's lab with their broader forms easily towering above the Guardians, the female Exo couldn't help but let doubt linger in the back of her mind.

"Heads up!"

Suddenly seeing Aleeza jump up from the side of her vision, Carina took it as a sign to leap back, just in time to witness the female Warlock toss a Nova Bomb into the fray of Vex. Immediately, the void light exploded into a spray of violet, the explosion causing the dark and bronze colored Vex to disappear in display of light. Although, no sooner did her Nova impact the area where the Vex stood, this also shook the passageway, Carina coming to a pause as small amounts of debris and dust fell around her.

"Are you trying to bury us alive!?" It was Spirit who spoke, Carina turning her gaze towards the Exo Warlock as his words echoed through the dark passageway, only for his voice to be quickly drowned out by both Vex and Guardian weapon fire.

"Not my intention!" Carina can see that Aleeza's response did little to ease Spirit's worry, especially from the way his hands shake visibly around the grasp of his hand cannon; just as long as he doesn't fire directly 'at' the others, Carina doesn't mind him cowering in the back with Esther's prone form in his lap and now with an awake Prime shouting words of encouragement from the crook of his neck where he had placed him; who else was Aleeza going to trust the Golden Age AI to when the Vex appeared? As her mind wandered over to Angel, Carina couldn't help but worry.

After the mission with rescuing Ixrsis, the human Hunter had spent majority of his time in the shooting ranges to ensure his sniper shots are on point and throughout their missions together, the female Exo can tell that the practice was really helping him. She recalls plenty of occasions where his sniper shots would save certain members of the team from death and how easily he can find another point to snipe from if his hidden form was ever found. However right now, she can tell that he was not 'in the game'.

His shots seem to graze the Vex on occasion and more often than not, Carina found his shots too close for comfort. Glancing back at Angel, the female Exo can see Hope spinning her back fins in agitation, her optic repeatedly blinking to show that she was speaking to her Guardian. Saying what, Carina couldn't grasp thanks to the gunfire of both sides, but the female Titan can guess that the female Ghost was voicing her concerns to the human Hunter.

Speaking of Ghosts, Carina's mind wandered back towards Spears and she couldn't help but feel a queasy feeling form in the bottom of her 'stomach'. She cannot seem to understand why but moments ago, a sense of uneasiness had settled upon her shoulders, her violet optics eyeing the small gap as her worry grew in intensity.

"Carina!"

Hearing her name echo off the walls, Carina glanced upwards only to come to a pause as her violet optics connected with the red glowing eye of a Praetorian. Apparently when the female Exo was deep in her thoughts, the group of Vex had slowly closed in, forcing the others back while Carina unwittingly stood her ground. Unsure of how to react, Carina froze, her violet optics wide behind her visor as the giant Vex tilted its head, as if bewildered by the presence of the female Titan in front of it before it promptly reached out with its free hand and grasped the front of her armor.

Hearing Aleeza call out her name, the female Exo let her hands fall limply at her side, her auto rifle barely lingering in her fingers as she felt her feet underneath slowly leave the ground as the Praetorian's red optic glowed menacingly. With her mind at first numb, as soon as she saw the large Vex raise its cannon arm and cock it back, readying its weapon to fire, panic finally set in within Carina's mind. And before she knew it, fire burned at the edges of her vision.

Feeling something solid form in her free hand, Carina then swung it upwards, hearing a mechanical scream as soon as she felt it make contact with the Praetorian's head. Small flakes of flames and sparks filled her vision before she felt herself fall, prompting Carina to square out her to feet to keep her balance.

"Carina?"

Hearing Aleeza call out to her once more, the female Exo turned and fixated her gaze onto the female Warlock, only to pause as not only her but everyone present had stopped their attack and stood there agape. Bewildered, Carina then remembered the object in her hand and glanced down. It was her hammer, the familiar eagle head barely visible through the flames. Shocked, the female Exo immediately dropped her auto rifle in her opposite hand and turned her attention to her palm, seeing flames lick away at her fingertips.

Seeing this, the first thought that flashed into the female Titan's mind was that she was successfully able to summon her hammer, although, it wasn't something new. Despite what others see back in the Crucible, Carina can summon her hammer perfectly fine; it's just when she tries to throw it is when things go awry. Her time as a Striker taught her to gather as much light as she can into her fists and then release it all onto her intended target but, not long after she had attuned to solar light, she realized that was not going to be the case. It seems her body is used to being a Striker, as Carina has no problem gathering all of her solar light into her hammer but it seems she has not exactly mastered how to keep it 'gathered' in her weapon. Her Hammer of Sol is stable as long as she holds it in her hands but once it leaves her grip, that's where it changes. Her habit of 'releasing' her light into an explosion seems to have permeated over to her abilities as a Sunbreaker as well, and despite her best attempts, Carina finds herself unable to break such habit, much to her chagrin; all she can do in the Crucible is enviously watch other experienced Sunbreakers toss their hammers while she is stuck with one that will explode on her if it even leaves her fingertips.

Doesn't mean that she can't swing it.

Hearing the familiar screeching of the Vex ring behind her, Carina turned and dashed forward, the flames flickering around her vision. Sighting the first Vex – a Hobgoblin- in her sights, the female Titan then turned to her side, pivoted her feet, and swung her hammer into the chest of her target. Instead of a resounding 'clang' of metal against metal as she had expected, Carina instead stared wide optic as the Hobgoblin burst into a figure of flames, dissipating almost immediately as soon as her weapon had made contact. Watching the flicker of flames die in the darkness, Carina couldn't help but let a tinge of excitement build up in the back of her mind, prompting her to twirl around and swing her hammer into the chest of another Vex, this one too bursting into flames.

Feeling her hammer ring in her hands, Carina continued to let it sing as she continuously swung it into oncoming Vex, her weapon easily taking out the smaller machines. Letting her confidence overtake her senses, the female Exo sighted a towering form of a Minotaur, its shields shimmering in the dark. Remembering how the smaller Vex easily burst into flames, Carina dashed towards the larger Vex and swung her hammer into its chest, expecting the same result. However, to her surprise, her hammer bounced off the chest of the Minotaur, the flames following the trail as the sound of shattering glass echoed through the dark passageway and the Vex Minotaur stumbled back from the hit, its shields now absent. Before she can comprehend what had occurred, a loud 'bang' resounded through the passageway, just in time to see the Minotaur stagger back once more as a bullet pierced through its chest, causing it to collapse onto its knees and then fall to its side.

"Finally! You hit something!"

"Not now! Hope!"

"Less talking! More firing!"

Hearing the Guardian and Ghost's voice crackle off the coms, Carina couldn't help but let her mind wander back to Spears, her worry resurfacing once more. Spears, despite what others see, she sees as a brother figure, the violet and green Ghost doing more than his fair share of protecting her when she was just a newborn Guardian; especially against those who weren't keen on the idea of Exo being Soldiers of Light. She recalls the shrieking cries he would release if any malevolent Guardians would get too close or literately ramming himself into them if they ever try to do her harm. He was always next to her side, hardly ever leaving her unless it was necessary and even then, the time apart is usually short. Right now, more than anything in this dark passageway, Carina wishes for the Ghost to be at her side as always.

Seeing a flash of neon violet rush past her vision, this caused Carina to snap back into reality, leaping back barely in time to avoid the explosion of the axion bolt. Regaining her balance, the female Exo narrowed her optics at the closest Praetorian, the latter of which cocked back its cannon hand as it locked its gaze with the female Exo. Whatever fear she had before was quickly replaced with a need to escape; a sense that she has to survive if she wants to see Spears again. As such, she rushed forward and slammed her Hammer into its chest, watching it stagger as its shield shimmered from the impact. However, before she can deliver another blow to the giant Vex with another swing, a sudden void in her chest caused to her let out a wheeze and stumble, reflexively reaching up and clenched her hand onto her chest, as if it would suddenly help the sudden uneasiness.

It felt as though something had been suddenly torn away from her, like a part of herself ripped apart and tossed away just out of her reach. So now, her chest felt empty, incomplete, and the dread she had felt during Spears' absence only strengthened followed by her hope of his survival diminishing. With a sense of loss overwhelming her senses, Carina can only come to a conclusion; Spears is gone and now, she was alone.

Grief immediately settled into the back of her mind as she felt her knees buckle underneath her, the solar light around the edges of her vision diminishing in reaction to her boiling emotions. Hearing her comrades calling her name echo through her audio receptors, Carina instead threw her head back and let out a scream, instantly drowning out the concerned shouts of her comrades in arms. However, as soon as her anguished cries echoed through the dark passageway, it was then Carina felt a pressure press against her lower abdomen followed by pain, causing her to let out a gasp and a wheeze. Forcing her gaze forward, Carina found herself locking gaze with the Praetorian she had struck earlier, the larger Vex tilting its head as if waiting for a response. Numbly glancing downwards, Carina found the Praetorian had taken the opportunity during her moment of weakness and had struck its cannon hands through her abdomen, seeing precious fluids seep through the edges of the Vex's weapons. Feeling the edges of the wound throb, Carina found herself unable to be surprised as the familiar light of the cannon powering up filled her vision.

Instantly, pain swelled through her body as she found herself flying backwards, skidding across the concrete on her back before feeling herself come to a halt. Taking in ragged breaths as Aleeza's screams echoed through the dark passage, Carina leaned her head back as the edges of her vision faded in and out of darkness.

Spirit had dropped Esther to the ground to grab at Angel and Aleeza, the two of them having dropped their weapons and having tried to dash towards the wounded female Titan; having wrapped his arm around Aleeza's waist to lift her off the ground and held a tight grip on the end of Angel's cape to keep him grounded. And Carina was appreciative of that. When she had activated her solar light, she had to get close and personal with the Vex and she had easily driven them back far enough from the others to be at a safe distance.

With this thought buzzing in the back of her mind, Carina then weakly brought her hands to her chest and started digging, tearing away the chest piece before finally reaching her plating, tearing away the flat pieces of metal before reaching down through metal and mesh of wires. Without Spears to deactivate her neural sensors, Carina felt every dig of her fingers of what would be considered her 'flesh', clenching her jaw as pain rippled through her body. But finally, after what seemed like eternity, her hand finally reached her intended target; a bomb implanted in her chest.

The female Exo easily recalls her time as being a 'soldier', back before she was considered 'obsolete' and was sentenced to be 'decommissioned'; luckily, she was able to make an escape before that could occur. But her memory easily remembers the 'fail safe' if her unit was ever to be threatened of being captured, where an implant in their bodies can be torn out of their chest and be used as a way to destroy themselves and their enemy. And it seems this implant was brought back along with her life.

Carina remembers using this implant on several occasions back when she was just a 'solo' Guardian, back before she met Angel and before she had anyone to rely on to watch her back. She recalls telling Spears to hang back before tearing the bomb out of her chest and destroying both herself and any surrounding enemies if push comes to shove. Many Guardians would call it a foolish move if she ever tells them of her little 'implant' but grenades created in the palms of the Soldiers of Light sometimes takes a tad bit too long before things go awry and at times, Carina felt the implant is nothing more than an emergency grenade since Spears can easily bring her back.

But now with him gone, Carina knows that in using this implant, she won't be able to come back. And she's going to leave behind a lot people. But with the number of Vex vastly increasing underground plus, Carina knows even with Angel's skills as a sniper and Aleeza's years of experience as a Guardian, they won't make it out, especially with the Praetorians down here with their fellow machine brethren. As such, Carina tore her implant from her chest, hearing it beep as it was torn away from the wires that kept it safe inside of her.

Closing her optics as she heard the Vex let out screeches of protest, at first, the image of Aleeza formed in the back of her mind, the female Awoken's laughter echoing in her auditory sensors as the beeping from the implant accelerated. But just as soon as the sound came to a sudden screech, Spears' form took the place of the female Warlock, his beeps and squeals causing Carina to smile.

"I'm coming, brother."

"Carina!" Aleeza's voice was the last thing the female Titan heard before a resounded bang overwhelmed her senses followed by silence.

Xxxxx

"He's gone."

Instead of responding to Zeno's words, Pluto instead kept his gaze on the now still form of Spears in his palm before using his opposing hand to cup the violet and green's Ghost's form in his grasp.

The two Hunters had followed the injured Ghost down a passageway before coming to a dead halt in the middle of the hall. Then, after saying 'Here. Here' several times, Spears simply glided down onto the floor, let out a sigh, and his violet optic blinked offline. Never to awaken again. The Exo Hunter had just scooped Spears' still from the floor and hid him from view in his grasp as he let the numbness spread throughout his body, his mind blank as Nix's voice whispered throughout his helmet, most likely in an attempt to give him comfort.

"We have to find Carina," He managed to breathe out before removing his hand from Spears' top and then tucking the violet and green Ghost's shell into his pack tied around his waist; a sinking feeling had formed within his chest, "We have to find Carina and the others."

"But where?" Zeno spread out his arms as if to emphasize his words, "Spears lead us here, but there's no sign of them. Not even a sign of a scuffle to show signs that they were even here."

"Spears can be a bit cryptic at times," Pluto retorted, the Exo Hunter easily sensing the look of doubt he received from his fellow Hunter, "he lead us here for a reason. Perhaps there's a clue, a-"

The familiar sound of an explosion resounded through the air followed by Pluto suddenly finding his feet fly out from underneath him, interrupting any words that he was going speak. Feeling a sense of free fall, the Exo Hunter then instinctively released a blanket of light around himself, sensing the familiar sensation of going incorporeal. This enabled Pluto to roll forward, the edges of his vision going violet before jumping back onto his feet, his cloak flowing over his shoulders from the inertia. His audio receptors ringing from the initial explosion, the Exo Hunter glanced around until he saw the familiar form of Zeno, the human Hunter staggering onto his feet before the familiar sight of his shields shimmering back into place.

"You know, it's fun being a Naturalborn Gunslinger and all, being able to wield my Golden Gun in ways that only other Gunslingers can imagine," Zeno started as he rubbed the back of his head, "but everytime I see you Shadestep away from explosions like that with hardly a scratch, I can't help but be envious."

Giving his fellow Hunter a sheepish smile, Pluto turned around in order to see the source of the explosion, only to come to a pause. There was now a gaping hole where the floor of the passageway once stood however, to the Exo's surprise, he could see the remnants of an underground hall below the floor's crumbling form. Pieces of rock and debris continued to roll down from the sides of the broken floor and into the underground passage, prompting Pluto to edge his way closer. As he leaned in and glanced down into the darkness of the passageway, it was then it suddenly clicked as to why Spears lead the two Hunters here.

"They were underground," He breathed out, sensing the bewildered stare from his fellow Hunter.

"Underground?" Zeno repeated, "But that explosion? Why would they-." Pluto then heard the human Hunter pause, "Wait, didn't you say that Spears said that his Guardian and the others were in trouble? What if they were fighting underground?"

The sinking feeling in Pluto's chest strengthen as the Gunslinger added, "Did a grenade set this off?"

"Carina!?" Pluto shouted as he slid down the sides, landing on top of the broken rubble and debris as he shouted, "Carina!? Ianos!? Angel!? Spirit!? Aleez-"

He words were suddenly interrupted as he felt a strong hand grab him by the arm and turned him around only for both hands to clamp down onto his shoulders.

"Where's Spears!?"

It was Aleeza, the familiar darkened visor against her violet helmet visible in Pluto's optics before he felt her shake him, "Where's Spears!?"

Confused, Pluto glanced over her shoulders, just in time to see the others making their way across the broken rubble. He can sense Spirit's shock as he stumbled across the rubble with a prone Esther in his arms, the familiar green shell of his Ghost hovering above the Exo Warlock's shoulders as he slowly made his way towards the pair and what Pluto can recognized as a Ghost riding in the back of his collar. He then saw Ace gliding not too far behind them, easily sensing Ianos' dormant light within the black and orange Ghost. When he focused his attention onto Angel, he can see the human Hunter was visibly shaking and quiet sobs emitting behind his visor, the white and red form of Hope following behind him. At first bewildered by the team's behavior, it was only when he glanced around for the familiar copper clad form of Carina when it finally sank in.

Feeling Aleeza's grip on his shoulders tighten, Pluto focused his attention back onto the female Warlock, taking in a breath and then subtly shook his head. That's when the Exo Hunter heard a sob break from behind Aleeza's visor, feeling her hands leave his shoulders as she fell onto her knees and wrapping her arms around herself. Struggling to comprehend the information of the female Titan's death echoing in the back of his mind, Pluto was startled back into reality as Aleeza let out a scream, watching her lean forward as she released her grief.

Numbly staring at the mourning Awoken, Pluto then turned his attention to Zeno, the latter of which had stood on the upper floor and said nothing as he watched. Nodding his head towards the others as he kept his gaze on his fellow Hunter, Pluto waited until Zeno let out a nod of his own and slid down the side to give him aid. Slowly tuning out Aleeza's screams of grief, Pluto heaved out a sigh as the familiar sensation of Nix materialized over his shoulders.

"Send a message to the Tower," He stated, "Tell them that Titan Carina-23 and Ghost Spears of Fireteam Redacted died fighting to ensure the survivability of their team."

* * *

 _Zeno belongs to Lazypersons_

 _Fin belongs to Fin The Demi God_

 _Yes. I did it. I stepped over the line. Wait until next week though :D. Going to overstep another boundary huehuehue. Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	55. You Sure?

**_Tormented_**

 ** _You Sure?_**

 _Welp. We're here! Last chapter before the epilogue :D  
_

 _Never thought I would make it this far and it was especially nice to see how many people enjoyed reading this story. As such, I thank you for making it this far and helping me stay motivated to keep this story going. I really appreciate you all._

 _Which comes to this: all those reviews man. Wasn't expecting Carina's death to have that huge of an affect. I feel bad but I had long planned it before I even posted the story here lol._

 _Anyways, thanks to AQY, Mantic64, Lazypersons, The Great Wolf 117, RainbowOverload, AAA, and zantilis for the reviews!_

 _RainbowOverload \- Omg. I didn't mean to make you cry D: I seriously didn't expect her death to have that huge of an impact lol. Than again, she has been around since like, Chapter 1 now that I think about it..._

 _zantilis \- Sorry lol. Like I have stated before, I haven't expected Carina to be popular amongst the readers. Was surprised to see as many reviews as I did. Anyways, to answer your question, yes, you can submit another character but there is a list and as such, it might be a while before your character can make an appearance._

* * *

 ** _Warning: Sensitive Material Ahead  
_**

 _This chapter holds mention 'and' sequence of a suicide. You have been warned._ **  
**

* * *

"You sure about this, Aleeza?"

Forcing her crimson hues away from the broken form of the Traveler, the female Warlock gave Lena a sheepish smile, "I'm sure."

"Then why are you so nervous?"

"Because I want to make sure that this is what 'you' want as well." Aleeza watched as the ruby and white Ghost paused at her words, "I don't want to force you into this just because 'I' am going to do it."

"How many times do I have tell you, Aleeza? No matter what happens or whatever decision you make, 'I' will always be there." The female Warlock paused at her Ghost's words, "Just make sure that you are certain it is what you want. If it is, then I do not care."

Taking in Lena's words, Aleeza quietly turned her gaze back onto the Traveler as she once again leaned against the rails, letting the small lights hanging around the Plaza light up the night. She was alone, Aleeza ensuring that she stayed out late enough to gain her privacy; Traveler, she even waited for Banshee to leave, the older Exo always closing up shop well past midnight. The reason for this is that she didn't want witnesses to know what she was planning, Aleeza slowly setting up the date as she experimented on her plan. Of course, it involves Lena, the female Ghost, as such the reason why Aleeza was nervous about putting her plan into action. But now her nervousness had shifted away to confidence at Lena's words and the female Warlock let her mind wander as she kept her crimson hues on the Traveler.

A few months had passed since that fateful mission on Venus, the now broken Fireteam Redacted returning back to the Tower with their mission in hand but severely handicapped; the team was now down two members instead of the original one they had and Ianos was immediately brought to the Medical Wing once Ace resurrected the Warlock. He had been in the Recovery Area since then, leaving the surviving members of Fireteam Redacted with no leader and no one to give them guidance. Even Ace can't give them advice as they too were brought over to the Medical Wing to be check over for any sign of corruption.

The Hunter that was with Pluto – Zeno if she can recall- had helped the others make it to a transmat zone before making his leave; apparently, he had work to be done. Before he left however, he had asked for Spears' shell, for research he claims. Aleeza had immediately denied his request; they cannot find a body amongst the rubble and the female Warlock at least wants 'something' to commemorate the female Titan. She can sense the disappointment emit from the human Hunter but soon this was dissipated when Pluto leaned in and whispered something in his ear; all Aleeza can catch was 'scans' but it was more than enough to cause Zeno to say his goodbyes and leave the team, enabling them to return to the Tower.

Prime was handed over to the Vanguard and as promised, the Golden Age AI's data was transferred into the Vanguard's database and Nora's shell was given to Fireteam Blaze for proper mourning and burial. Now Prime's duty is to help locate potential Golden Age tech and help decipher blueprints that could give aid to the Soldiers of Light.

Esther was handed over to the Medical Wing as well and within a week, she was already awake and well. However, just as Prime had stated, she held no recollection of her memories, staring blankly at Aleeza and the others when they came to visit the female Hunter. Last Aleeza had heard, Esther had been given the thumbs up to return on missions a few days later and had taken up the moniker of Esther-10 to signify her number of wipes. The team hadn't made contact with her since.

When Aleeza's thoughts wandered over to Angel, the female Warlock couldn't help but heave out a sigh and shake her head. Out of the result of the mission, Aleeza believes the human Hunter had gotten the short end of the stick. Not only had he lost a Fireteam member but he had also lost his first 'non-Eliksni' friend and as such, Angel had turned into an emotional wreck. No amount of words or condolences were able to silence his grief and as such, the Vanguard had given him permission to go on leave to House of Spirits, in hopes that his Eliksni family can give him the stability he needed. However, it wasn't even hours later when Angel returned, emotionally unstable as ever and a recorded message in hand. It was from Kell Ixrsis, the female Eliksni stating that thanks to actions of the Tower, she had made the decision to move House Spirits to another location, for both the safety of her people and to help Angel reintegrate back into Guardian society; the treaty between the Eliksni House and the Tower is still active however, the only contact that will be made is at random drop off points where supplies will be given to either side. Thanks to this, Aleeza had witnessed Angel jump into the Crucible, perhaps in an attempt to help him get over the losses of his close friend and his family.

Aleeza herself had closed herself off from society, the loss of Carina too much for her to interact with anyone. Even Akiva, her twin, she refuses to answer the door to whenever the human Titan would come over to visit; she 'especially' didn't want to see Akiva. It was not for the reason that Akiva didn't seem to be affected by Carina's death; Aleeza knows fully well that Akiva mourned the death of the female Exo, proven when she had overheard two members of Fireteam Blaze – Jordan and Ria – talking about Neve comforting Akiva when she happened to pass by their room. The reason why her own twin was the last person she wanted to meet was for the reason that he still had 'everything'; everything that she had ever wanted.

A family. A child. A lover.

That is all Aleeza had wanted but every time she even gets close to even having one of those things, it falls through her fingers, slipping away almost just as quickly as she gains it. She had lost countless Guardians she had called friends to the Darkness and any lovers she had before Carina soon followed suit. It didn't help that she was also barren, forever unable to carry a child, even in her second life.

But then her twin, the 'younger' twin, the one who was born second, even in their new life, always seems to keep a firm grasp of what she had wanted. A lover that waits patiently for him whenever he goes on missions. A son that always runs up to greet him whenever he returns home. A family that will always love him unconditionally. Aleeza found that even in their second life, he always had what she had sought.

Her fingers curling into fists at the thought, Aleeza clenched her jaw as the edges of her vision burned red. Honestly, the female Warlock had almost pushed her plan to the side until Akiva made an announcement; Neve was pregnant. And with twins. Two more little lights to join the 'Wahl family'. For the female Awoken, that was what made her fixate on her plan. And tomorrow night, is when it was going to happen.

Xxxxx

Akiva always found himself in the Crucible whenever he needed time to think; back then he would have gone to Mars and camped there but with a family back at the Tower, the male Titan believes that it would be best to be 'nearby' in case things go awry. As such, he would find himself dashing in the Crucible, shoulder charging anyone he can take by surprise or shooting them in the chest with his shotgun if things doesn't go as planned. Usually, he would do this alone but recently, Angel had requested to be his Crucible partner and Akiva knows the reason; Carina was his past Crucible partner but now with the female Titan gone, he had no one else to guide him in the arenas. It just shows how much Carina's death affected the team.

Heaving out a sigh at the thought, Akiva peeked over the edge of the crumbling wall only to duck back as he barely spotted a member of the opposing team turn to face him.

Currently, he and Angel had joined a match of Elimination in an attempt to better themselves for the weekly Trials of Osiris and the pair found themselves in the Rusted Lands against a Warlock, a Hunter, and a Titan.

Before joining in on the match, Akiva had selected a third member for their run: A Warlock named Kaizen, if he remembers correctly. Skilled in Solar and Arc light, the familiar dark, levered sniper in his hands was proof enough to tell the human Titan of Kaizen's skill in the Crucible; also add into the factor that Kaizen wore a full set of Exile armor, ones that Akiva recognizes as ones received only by participating in the Trials of Osiris, the human Guardian has full confidence of Kaizen's ability. Although, he wishes his fellow human Guardian would interact just a tad bit, at least enough to communicate their locations. But nonetheless, their score was currently tied with the opposing team and now, it was just an intense standoff, either party waiting for the other to slip.

Which brings up their current predicament of silently edging their way behind crumbling buildings and walls with Angel and Kaizen with their snipers at ready while as Akiva held the familiar weight of a shotgun in his hands.

"Any ideas?" The human Titan whispered back to his team, turning his golden hues towards his fellow Guardians, only to watch Kaizen let out a shrug and Angel staring silently back; Akiva couldn't help but let out a sigh at this, "Well, guess we just rush in and-Angel!"

Before the male Titan can let out another sound of protest, the familiar white and silver cloak of the young Hunter disappeared around a corner, causing Akiva to let out a groan, "Why in the Traveler did he rush in like that?"

"A distraction perhaps?" Kaizen responded, letting out a shrug as he added, "He didn't really say before rushing off like that."

"Well we better hurry before-" Several shots firing through the air caused Akiva to pause, only for the latter to let out a curse as Angel's name popped up on his visor followed by the name of the Guardian who had killed him; according to the information, he was killed by a shotgun.

"Stay here," Akiva hissed out, earning a nod from the black and gold clad Warlock before edging out of his hiding spot and slid down the side of the crumbling building, easily sliding down onto his knees before quickly jumping back onto his feet. Gripping his shotgun tightly in his hands, Akiva quietly rushed towards a crumbling hallway before skidding down onto his knees and then pressing his back against the wall just close to the exit.

"Did he really just rush out into the open expecting to get one of us?"

Taking in a sharp breath as the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Akiva peered around the corner, the edges of his vision barely catching three forms standing near the pipes: a Warlock, a Titan, and a Hunter, standing nearby what the human Titan easily recognizes as the white and red form of Hope, waiting patiently for an aid in resurrection.

"He's 'The Scavenger', isn't he?" Akiva flinched at Angel's supposed nickname, listening in as the Hunter added in, "The one who conspired with those Fallen?"

"Hah! No wonder he rushed in." It was the Warlock this time, "He hung around those scavengers so much, his intelligence stooped to their level." A snort escaped them, "He didn't have the brain capacity to think of a plan, let alone keep an alliance between us and those 'monsters'."

As he heard the other Guardians snicker at their teammate's words, Akiva gritted his jaw and his grip tightened around the barrel of his shotgun. However, just as the thought of leaping out and rushing the three Guardians flooded his mind, white noise filled his helmet, causing the human Titan to jump as Kaizen's voice echoed, "I have one of them in sight, want me to take the shot?"

Slowly remembering the Warlock's main weapon, Akiva frowned behind his visor as he let out a hiss, "Didn't I tell you to stay put?"

"When I see a chance to take a shot, I'll take it."

Heaving out a sigh at Kaizen's words, Akiva glanced over the edge, his golden hues eyeing the three Guardians as they chatted, most likely forming a plan to take both him and Kaizen out, "Fine, take it."

The familiar fire of a sniper rang through the air followed by the Titan's head snapping back, blood and bone splattering behind him as his body fell backwards from the blow. Sensing the shock emit from the other two Guardians, Akiva took the opportunity to leap out and rush towards them. Seeing the Hunter raise their hand cannon towards him, Akiva took it as a sign to skid down onto his knees, feeling the graze of the opposing Guardian's bullets against his shoulders before he raised the barrel of his shotgun and fired. Immediately, Akvia watched as the Hunter twirled in the air from the blow and landed onto their stomach, the familiar form of their Ghost immediately materializing above them. As he turned his weapon towards the Warlock, he already found the latter running off, quickly gliding behind the water tanks as Kaizen's shots trailed behind.

"Damn, he's fast."

Letting out a sheepish smile at the Warlock's words, Akiva took the opportunity to hold out his hand and summon Lex, letting his Ghost beam his light into Hope. Just as soon as Angel materialized back onto his feet, Akiva jumped as arc light suddenly surged throughout the Hunter, causing the human Titan to leap back as Angel rushed towards the Warlock.

"Angel! Wait!" Letting out a flow of curses as Angel ignored his calls, Akiva ran after the younger Guardian as Lex materialized back into his armor.

"What is up with the kid?" Ignoring his Ghost's question in an attempt to focus on catching up to Angel, Akiva twisted around the corner as Lex added, "He seems upset. Or more like, angry."

No sooner had Lex's words echoed throughout his helmet when Akiva heard a scream, causing him to leap forward and focus his light into his legs, tapping it to let it seem like he was 'gliding' across the field to quickly close the distance. Entering one of the buildings, Akiva came to a pause as he sighted Angel sitting upon the chest of the opposing Warlock, his dagger digging into the Warlock's shoulder.

"What right do you have to call the Eliksni, the House of Spirits, my family! Monsters!?" Seeing arc light surge through the human Hunter's knife, Akiva couldn't help but flinch as the energy surged through the Warlock, causing the latter to let out a scream before Angel ripped his blade out of their shoulder and then stabbed it into their chest.

Witnessing Angel continuously stab the Warlock with his weapon even long after his blade ran out of arc light, Akiva decided to wait; he wasn't going to get in the way of Angel taking out his frustrations. The Warlock was just unfortunate enough to be the target of his rage. It was only when the human Hunter started shouted in Eliksni tongue and continued to stab the body of the Warlock long after their Ghost materialized over their body, when Akiva decided to take action.

"Angel? Angel." Akiva took tentative steps towards the Hunter, "Angel." He then placed a hand onto the human Hunter's shoulder.

A snarl and a scream rang in Akiva's ears as he leaped back, leaning back in time to dodge a swipe to the face from Angel's knife.

"Angel!" This time, his voice seemingly came through to the younger Guardian, the latter coming to a pause as his grip on his knife laxed, "Angel?"

Blood easily can be seen on the front of his chest and visor alongside the arm that held the bloody knife; Akiva took note that white is not the best way to go when killing another Guardian, especially one that is of human descent from what he can tell.

"Angel, we won, that's enough," Watching the younger Guardian glance back and forth between him and the corpse he sat upon, Angel's knife then clattered to the decaying cement and the familiar sound of a sob echoed behind the human Hunter's visor.

"Shaxx announced our win," Kaizen's voice echoed through Akiva's helmet, "ready to go?"

Keeping his golden hues on Angel's shaking form, Akiva heaved out a sigh, "Yeah, let's go."

Xxxxx

It was the first time Pluto had decided to visit Ianos in the Medical Wing; he had been busy trying to keep the newest generation of Clan Galaxy in order; in other words mainly reassuring Orion. When the news of House of Spirits relocating spread, it was Orion who took the news the hardest amongst the Galaxy Clan members. He had hoped that the dispute between the Guardians and the Eliksni will be handled and that his friend, Olkar, will return back to the Tower; the announcement just ruined that hope. Since then, he had been distant, locking himself in his room majority of his free time and on occasion, will even refuse to leave when it comes to missions. It was only recently that Pluto manage to get him to interact with others of the Clan and as such, Pluto had taken the opportunity to visit the Awoken Warlock.

Giving Matt a nod as he passed, Pluto approached the end of the hall, his red optics sighting the name 'Ianos' as he came to a pause. Taking in a breath, the Exo Hunter pressed a hand on the door and pushed it open.

There, in the middle of the white room, laid Ianos, his form still in his bed as he rested. The familiar tubes and wires connected into his arms and his lower face gave Pluto the flashback of Neptune, the Exo Warlock's broken form clear in his mind before it flashed back into reality.

"Pluto?"

Shaking his head to clear his mind, the Exo Hunter blinked several times before his gaze focused onto the familiar form of Ace, the Ghost hovering from Ianos' shoulder.

"Ace, it's been a while." No sooner had the greeting left his 'lips' when he felt the familiar sensation of Nix materializing over his shoulder, seeing the viridian Ghost bob once in greeting towards the black and orange Ghost; Ace immediately returned with a bob of their own.

Turning his gaze towards Ianos' still form, Pluto then closed the distance between himself and the unconscious male Awoken, coming to a pause just short of the bed.

"He's been like this since we arrived here," It was Ace's voice, "not voluntarily mind you. When I resurrected him, he was hysterically; the pain was too much for him. Matt had to put him down under to ensure he doesn't harm anyone or himself."

"Has he fixed the system yet?" The black and orange Ghost's sigh was enough to answer Pluto's question.

"Matt said that the damage to it was extensive, it is going to take a while to repair it."

"But a few months?" Pluto couldn't help but frown as Ace's parts shifted up and down; a Ghost equivalent of a shrug.

"I am not quite sure but I think I heard him mutter about an 'upgrade." Another shrug from Ace, "from what I can catch, it is one that will be less susceptible to damage while at the same time, has a better function than the previous one. Not sure if my hearing was accurate."

Taking in the Ghost's words, Pluto crossed his arms, his red optics narrowing in deep thought, "Although I know he has good intentions, I do not like the fact that he likes to use Ianos as a 'lab rat'."

"Ianos volunteers, if that is any help," Pluto couldn't help but let out a scoff at Ace's words; this wasn't missed by the Ghost, "What other choice do we have, Pluto? The study of the infection of the Darkness was never deeply looked into until Matt lost Cecilia, and despite it being 'years' ago, it is still a new study." Pluto watched as Ace twirled their back fins before continuing, "Although it is a problem, Guardians who are infected with the Darkness are rare and many of them are either killed or turned before we can do anything to help. Ianos is 'one' of the rare cases who survive long enough to figure out a cure or at least a treatment. That is why Ianos is more than willing to be a 'lab rat' to seek out a way to help others. Don't scorn Matt for something that both Ianos and I are helping find a cure for."

At first silent at Ace's words, Pluto heaved out a sigh; a sign of his reluctance but understanding. As such, the Exo Hunter decided to change the subject, "Does he know about Carina?"

Silence momentarily permeated between the Ghost and the Exo before Ace finally responded, "Like I said before, he was like this as soon as we came back to the Tower. I have no idea if he was conscious during our time down there. He was in unstable condition when he killed himself in order for me to contain the Darkness. Who knows…?" Pluto watched as Ace fixated their orange optic onto Ianos' sleeping face, "He might already know of Carina's death."

Letting the silence once more permeate between the two, Pluto shifted his focus back onto Ianos, watching the Awoken Guardian sleep. To the Exo Hunter, it was strange to see Ianos resting, the older Guardian always seeing the Warlock awake at his desk working on a project or a weapon, anything that will keep him busy; most likely in an attempt to keep the dreams at bay. But now, seeing him sleep, Pluto couldn't help but think that this was the most peaceful expression he had seen on Ianos, at least, in years.

"Well, since you're here, would you like a seat?" The Exo Hunter turned his focus back onto Ace, watching the black and orange Ghost bob their body towards one side of the wall, the latter of which had chairs lined up on the side, "I have a feeling your visit is more than just asking questions, right?"

Momentarily silent, Pluto turned his red optics towards Nix, the latter of which then stated, "Besides the Clan, we have nothing scheduled for today and Orion and the others will be fine without us for a few hours."

Taking the voice of confidence of his Ghost's words, the Exo Hunter then quietly walked over to the wall, grabbed a chair and returned to his spot near Ianos' side before taking a seat. Slowly tuning out the machines connecting to the Awoken Warlock, Pluto finally tuned in onto Ianos' steady breathing and it was then, he let out a sigh as he leaned back and closed his optics. Soon, he too settled into the lulls of sleep.

Xxxxx

"I say this calls for a celebration!"

Letting Akiva's voice ring through the air, Angel couldn't help but let a tinge of annoyance pull at the back of his mind as he ripped his helmet off, and shaking his head to let his dark strands settle back over his shoulders.

The group of three had just recently transmatted into the Plaza, their ships quickly returning to the Hangar as Akiva then added, "Angel! Want to join me at the bar for a drink?"

Turning his green hues towards the human Titan, Angel did his best to give Akiva a smile; he felt his lips strain against the motion and he can tell from the older Guardian's bewildered features that his attempt wasn't successful, "Not tonight, Akiva. I actually have plans."

The disappointment in the human Titan's hues was immediate but it was quick to disappear as Angel watched Akiva turn his focus onto his next target: their Warlock teammate.

"Hey Kaizen! Want to join me for a drink?"

The Warlock Guardian having long ago removed his helmet as soon as they had landed, Angel clearly saw the look of surprise on his pale features as the Warlock's green eyes widened.

"Uhm," A tinge of amusement found itself making way into Angel's senses as he watched Kaizen nervously brush his fingers through his dark strands, "Actually-"

Akiva then wrapped an arm around the Warlock's shoulder, causing the latter to freeze at the touch, "I can't celebrate alone! Come on, just one drink!"

Seeing Kaizen turn his gaze towards him, all Angel can do was give the human Guardian a shrug as Akiva dragged him in the direction of the bar, the exasperated look clear on his fellow Guardian's face as they disappeared into the crowd.

"Wow, almost feel bad for the fellow." The familiar sensation of his Ghost materializing over his shoulders tingled against his senses, "but he should be able to make his escape soon. Akiva is usually out in just a few drinks."

Scanning the crowd to ensure that Akiva and Kaizen were both out of sight, Angel simply waved his hand to signal to Hope to follow before turning around and making his way towards the back of the Plaza. Making his way to the steps, Angel quietly brushed passed passing Guardians before making his way towards the Traveler's Walk, sighting the familiar iron garbed of Saladin standing next to his usual spot to the right, preparing the familiar blazing symbol of the Iron Lords.

The realization that Iron Banner was to start the next day, the human Hunter curled his hands into fists as he slowly trudged his way towards the end of the Walk, slamming his hands onto the rails as waves of emotion forced their way into the back of his mind. He remembers Carina exclaiming loudly of her excitement every time Iron Banner comes around, easily claiming her rewards as she slammed her way to victory when she gains the chance. He remembers the look of awe on her face when she approaches Lord Saladin for the first time, her hands touching the edges of his cloak before it was briskly pulled from her grip. He remembers her dragging him towards said event despite his protest, loudly claiming his skills in the Crucible will improve if he participates only for him to fall to the bottom of the ranks. He remembers her giving him words of confidence and encouragement during every failed event.

He remembers.

He remembers his friend.

His 'first' friend he ever made at the Tower.

Feeling grief build up in the back of his throat, Angel's attempt to force it back failed as a sob escaped him, bowing his head as he mourned.

"Angel?" It was Hope's voice, the edges of his vision barely catching the familiar white and red form of his Ghost gliding near his arms.

"It never crossed my mind that she would be the first to go." Angel blurted out, "I knew that not all of us will live for long but Carina?" A dry chuckle permeated from his throat, "I thought Carina would be the last one standing, cursing at the Darkness before she tries to attack it with her fists." He then paused, letting his grief bubble inside of him before he continued, "When I saw her lying there, with that 'bomb' in her hand, my first reaction was to rush towards her, to save her. But Spirit he-"

"He saved your life." Angel paused at Hope's interruption, "The Vex were nearly upon us and the only way to clear them out is by takin' them out all at once." He then heard her sigh, "We just didn't anticipate that Carina will give her life to save us."

Quiet once again, the human Hunter then fell to his knees, letting his arms fall to his side as he heard Hope glide over to his shoulders in concern, "I don't know what to do, Hope. Every time I feel…I feel like 'this' I usually head towards the House of Spirits but, they're not there anymore." The human Hunter then leaned his head against the rails, the edges of his vision blurry once more as he added, "Did I do something wrong? Did they abandon me because of something I did?"

"Did you listen in on the message that Ixrsis gave us?" Angel can sense the frustration in Hope's voice, "She said that she did not inform you of their new location was that so you can reintegrate with the Guardians 'here' and I have say this, I agree."

Instantly, bewilderment entered Angel's senses, causing the latter to push himself away from the rails and turn his green hues towards Hope's white and red form, "What do you mean?"

"Did you not hear yourself when you attacked that Warlock earlier?" Angel gave Hope a puzzled look in response, "You were cursin' in Eliksni tongue. Callin' them things I dare not repeat. And just sayin', 'all' Crucible matches are recorded and viewed by others. In other words, other Guardians heard what you just said. What will they think when they see one of their own speakin' in Eliksni and killin' another Guardian?"

Soaking in Hope's words, Angel couldn't help but shift his gaze towards the floor in shame, hearing his Ghost heave out a sigh in response, "Look, Angel, I know it's goin' to be hard, but all of your free time is bein' spent with House of Spirits and not 'here'. Traveler, even your time spent with Fireteam Redacted is small compared to your stays at House Spirits."

"But-"

"No buts." Angel paused at Hope's words, "You have learned how to integrate in Eliksni society. Now it is time for you to integrate into the Guardian's society, do you understand?"

Lifting his gaze towards Hope, Angel saw the frustration in the female Ghost's optic fade, only to be slowly replaced with gentleness and affection, "I know you miss them, Angel. I was there when they took you in out in the Wilds. They were my family too." Watching Hope glide closer, Angel blinked as she came to a pause just short of his face, "But we have our 'other' family as well. Do you think it's not fair that you are spendin' more time with House Spirits while neglecting the ones who first welcomed you with open arms despite your ideology?"

Seeing Hope glide back to give him space, Angel pondered on his Ghost's words before he heaved out a sigh, "You're right." He then paused, "But it's not going to be easy."

A snort escaped Hope, "Who says it's goin' to be easy?" The female Ghost then glided over to Angel's shoulder, "Come on, I think after your little 'sob' fest, a little rest would be nice."

Quickly pushing himself onto his feet, Angel used the back of his hands to wipe away the tears from the edges of his eyes, "It was not a 'sob fest'."

The human Hunter received a laugh from Hope as the two made their way towards their quarters.

Xxxxx

It was strange to Aleeza how a day can pass without a moment's thought; then again, today is the day when she decides to pass on from this life.

Ensuring that all life is absent from the middle of the Plaza, Aleeza took it as a sign to slowly approach the rails and lean over the edge. Immediately, the familiar fog of clouds filled her vision, the moving mist barely enabling her to see the ground below. This caused the female Warlock to take in a gulp and grip her hands tightly on the rails, the only thing keeping her safely on the opposing side.

That is soon going to change.

Taking in a deep breath, Aleeza pulled herself up before lifting up a foot and placing it on top of the rails. Then quickly, she pushed herself with her opposing foot, quickly releasing her grasp from the metal bars and then placing the other foot safely on the rails before squaring out her arms to regain her balance. Feeling the wind brush past her white strands, Aleeza closed her eyes and took in another shaky breath.

"You sure you want to do this?" The female Warlock opened her crimson eyes to see the familiar ruby and white form of Lena, "You seem to be having second thoughts."

"I can do this." Aleeza saw Lena's crimson optic blink, "It just seems a bit… 'different' when you actually put it to action."

The familiar sound of Lena's parts shifting echoed into the female Warlock's ears, "There are other ways to take your own life. You sure you want it to be this way?"

Taking in her Ghost's words, Aleeza then turned her gaze towards the clouds, letting her mind wander.

She at first, had wanted to take her own life the same way Carina had died; letting a grenade or a bomb detonate in her hands somewhere out on Venus. But then the thought of the female Titan's first death echoed in her mind; she recalls Carina telling about her death before she was brought back as a Guardian, how in a last-ditch effort to escape the clutches of the humans who wanted her death, she had jumped from a cliff and into the wilderness below. In Carina's eyes, this did not let the humans have the satisfaction of ending her life. And Aleeza sought no other way than to follow the female Titan's example.

"No, it has to be this." The female Warlock turned her crimson hues back towards Lena, only to see the Ghost bob once; a sign of her agreement, "Then if you are certain, then I am ready."

Returning her Ghost's nod with a nod of her own, Aleeza then shifted her gaze towards her waist, removing the familiar shape of a hand cannon from its holster. Weighing the weapon in her hands, Aleeza's thought wandered back to the fusion rifle, recalling how the high-powered energy of the gun at close range would let Lena's death be painless and quick. But then she also remembered how it would leave no evidence of the female Ghost behind; she may currently resent her twin for having everything she had wanted, but she didn't hate him to leave behind nothing. As such, the hand cannon was the next best option, the weapon powerful enough to kill Lena quickly and painlessly but also leaves 'something' behind for Akiva and the others to sift through.

Shifting her gaze back towards Lena only to see her having closed her optic; a sign for the Ghost that she was ready. As such, slowly, Aleeza lifted her weapon, aimed it as Lena's optic, and fired. Having expected Lena to fly backwards from the kickback, Aleeza was surprise to see instead the female Ghost dispersing into pieces, her ruby and white shell exploding into shards of metal as her core fell to the ground in a heap of sparks and wires. Shocked from the result, Aleeza fixated her gaze onto what remained of her Ghost, the Ghost that had been there since her resurrection, the Ghost that had been with her with every loss and gain. Quickly shaking her head to regain her composure, Aleeza then tossed the hand cannon onto the Plaza floor; she wants to leave more than just Lena's body as evidence of her jump. As such, Aleeza faced towards the sky, her crimson hues taking in one last sight of the Traveler before closing her eyes, taking in a breath, spread out her arms, and tilted her body forward.

Immediately, she felt the winds whistle past her ears as she felt her cloak and hair billow behind her. Feeling her heart beat fast within her chest as she continued to fall, she felt her heart slowly ease, her body slowly accepting what was to come. This enabled Aleeza to let her mind wander, recalling her first memory: the sight of Lena greeting her with a chirp, her crimson optic beaming with pride and happiness of finally finding her Guardian. No sooner had this memory appeared when the face of her twin flashed into her mind, his laughter ringing in her ears as he would reach over and wrap his arm around her shoulder. Finally, the familiar ring of Carina's voice echoed, seeing the violet optics lock onto her hers before the silver Exo reached out a hand and let out a chirp.

"Ready to have some fun, Aleeza?"

Letting a smile form on her lips, the female Warlock let out a sigh of content, the imagery of Carina fading in her mind as the winds whistled in her ears.

Then suddenly, nothing.

* * *

 _Kaizen belongs to PashHanin_

 _Phew, this chapter took a lot longer than I thought to type out. Not for the reason that it's long but to write out the scenes was harder than I had anticipated. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter C:_

 _The epilogue will be out next week. The sequel will follow the week after C:_

 _For Character submission, those who did not make an appearance in this story will be moved to the sequel. I had honestly not anticipated this many submissions to make an appearance int his story, and as such, I apologize for the inconvenience and the long wait._

 _Anyways, see you all next week!_


	56. Coping

_**Tormented**_

 _ **Coping**_

 _Okay, I said this was going to be the epilogue but after writing it out, I realized it's not much of one so this is the last chapter and the 'real' epilogue will be out later today. Shouldn't take too long; if I were to take a guess, it won't surpass 2-3k words._

 _Also announcement._

 _It's really nice seeing all these characters you submit and I really had fun putting them in. But, as the list I have is starting to get on, sadly, I have to that I am no longer accepting characters. Starting today, March 15, I won't accept any characters. If you submitted a character beforehand, your character will make an appearance in the sequel and once again, I apologize for the long wait for their appearance._

 _Thanks to Lazypersons, Mantic64, The Great Wolf 177, PashHanin, RainbowOverload, Guest, and Zeak106 for the reviews! _

_PashHanin \- You're welcome ^_^_

 _RainbowOverload - Aaaaaagh! I'm sorry! QAQ_

 _Guest_ _\- Yeah, pretty much you're right lol. Don't worry, things get better...maybe :3  
_

* * *

Ianos is finally awake, as such, Pluto found himself back in the Awoken Warlock's room, but not for the reason to visit him; it was to give the him news.

They found Aleeza.

Some unfortunate newborns found her body first during the early hours of morning; not even a few hours old and already they're seeing the dark side of Guardian life. According to the Guardians who were sent on scene, they couldn't recognize her; the only reason they were able to identify Aleeza was from the data they can attain from Lena's broken form back at the top. As such, just a few hours earlier, the surviving members of Fireteam Redacted, both former and active, received the news of her death.

Having returned to his quarters by then, Pluto was, at first, taken by surprise; he knew that Aleeza would be deeply affected by Carina's death but he hadn't anticipated the female Warlock taking her own life because of it. But as the swirling emotions settled within him, it slowly started putting itself together. From what he can gather about the female Warlock, she had lost countless others long before she had met her twin and Carina, and Pluto can guess that the female Titan's death is what had pushed her over the edge.

With this in mind, Pluto at first planned to visit Akiva, having expected the human Titan to already have received the news, only for Nix to quickly respond that Ianos had awoken and as such, here he stands near the entrance, his red optics focusing on the weakened Warlock lying on his bed.

Just as Nix had stated, Ianos was awake, sitting upright in his bed with his hands folded on his lap however, he looked haggard, tired, and his vibrant orange hues stared blankly ahead, their glow seemingly dim as Pluto slowly approached his side.

Unsure of how to bring up the deaths of not one but two of their Fireteam members, Pluto decided to start out with a question, "How are you feeling?"

"Like as though I shouldn't be here. Alive." Pluto flinched at Ianos' response, the male Awoken's words holding a tinge of weariness and remorse, "Body is sore and numb, most likely from the drugs that Matt is pumping into my system."

Pulling up a chair to take a seat next to the Warlock's bedside, Pluto decided to add, "Matt just told me that he is upgrading your system. He says it should be finished soon and that you would be able to-"

"Carina is gone, isn't she?"

Pluto paused immediately at Ianos' question, his silence a sign for the Awoken Warlock to continue, "Just because I was half conscious inside of Ace, doesn't mean I am not completely out of touch with my surroundings. I was aware enough to hear the cries of grief emitting from Aleeza."

Quiet once more, Pluto shifted uneasily in his seat before heaving out a sigh, "Speaking of Aleeza…"

"She's gone too?"

The Exo Hunter reeled back from Ianos' words, "How did you…?"

"Remember those drunken nights we would have together? As a team?" Pluto's mind struggled to pull the pieces together, "It's strange really. How being the only one sober enough to remember all the events while the rest of you all don't seem to remember a thing." The Exo Guardian then heard Ianos let out a scoff, "You're lucky, you're the type to let your mind drift off when you're drunk, the others, they rant and let off secrets that they shouldn't be saying."

Narrowing his optics in thought, Pluto stayed quiet, letting his curiosity get the best of him as Ianos continued, "Aleeza, she told me her life story. How she had always wanted a child, a family. However, she is barren, unable to carry children even in her second life. As such, she told me of her envy towards Akiva, and how the only reason she has both a stable mind and relationship with him was Carina. She was the only reason why she wanted to stay."

A heavy sigh then escaped the male Warlock, "It was just a guess that would she follow Carina into death, and I had hoped I was wrong but from your reaction, it seems I was correct."

Momentarily silent as he took in Ianos' words, Pluto let out a nod, "Yes, you are."

Another sigh from Ianos, although this time, he decided to remain quiet, causing Pluto to keep his gaze on the weakened Warlock as the silence permeated throughout the room.

"How do you do it, Pluto?" The Exo Hunter jumped at Ianos' question, "Every single individual I had met throughout my life, especially Guardians, always seem broken, falling apart when they lose a loved one."

"You didn't."

A dry chuckle escaped the weakened Warlock, "Oh? Then what do you call that time when I asked for a solo mission to the Moon after I lost both Ari and Zakai?"

Pluto remained silent at Ianos' question.

"I had lost many throughout my life, but you, Pluto, you had lost not only your clan, but your brothers, your sisters, your siblings, your 'family, and your lover." Once again, the Exo Hunter remained quiet, "But yet, you remain strong, tethered to the world of the living and continued to take steps forward. How?"

Instead of immediately responding, Pluto waited, watching Ianos taking steady breaths as he watched Ace's orange optic glance back and forth between him and the Warlock. This wasn't the first time the Exo Hunter had seen Ianos in this state; fragile, hopeless, and lost. He had seen him like this on several occasions, although the worst is when he lost both his lovers: one to the event of the Great Disaster and the other scouring the workings of the Darkness in a vain attempt to bring the former back. Although the one he sees now is not as severe, the emptiness he sees in the Awoken Warlock's gaze was enough to tell Pluto to wait, to wait until the boiling emotions of loss and grief stills just enough to finally respond.

"For the reason they wouldn't want me mourning their deaths when there are others out there who need help."

That's when Pluto saw Ianos turn his eyes and saw the haggardness and weariness more clearly in his gaze; the Exo Hunter took it as a sign to continue, "I would imagine them standing next to me during my most vulnerable moment and I would ask myself, how would they react if they see me like this? Debating between life and death?" Pluto watched as Ianos shifted his gaze away, "Knowing my Clan members, they would have wanted me to stand firmly on my feet and continue on, not wanting me wandering in the past especially with their deaths."

"You make it sound so simple."

Concern flashed over Pluto's optics as the Exo Hunter glanced over at Ace, the latter of which scrunched their parts together before gliding over to Ianos' lap, prompting the male Awoken to delicately wrap his hands around his Ghost's shell.

"Death would be less complicated."

No sooner had the words left Ianos' lips when Pluto immediately reached over and clamped his hand around the Warlock's arm, causing the former to snap his gaze towards the latter.

"Don't you 'dare' say that." Pluto snarled out, watching Ianos blink in response, "death being less complicated? How would the others react when they figure out you're dead? Angel? Akiva? Me?" Ianos' eyes fell back towards his hands, "Losing someone to death is hard, yes, but that doesn't mean you take your own life to ease the pain." His shoulders sagging, Pluto tentatively released his grip on the Warlock's arm before reaching up and placing a hand onto his shoulder, "There are friends for a reason, Little Light. They will help you get through this. Do you not think that we wouldn't ease each other's sense of loss after Carina and Aleeza?"

"You didn't have anyone 'out there'," Pluto sighed at Ianos' statement, "You were alone out in the Wilds, how did you get support of 'friends' when you had no one else around?"

"Do you forget about our Ghosts?" The Exo Hunter heard the Awoken Guardian pause, "No matter what you think, Little Light, you are 'never' alone, especially when you have Ace with you." A soft smile then formed onto Pluto's metallic features, "Did you think I got through the death of my Clan alone?"

That's when Pluto noticed Ianos' fingers caress the edges of Ace's shell, watching the black and orange Ghost glance up at the male Awoken's face.

"I had expected this team to be the one I would see the end with." Pluto blinked at the Awoken Guardian's words, "they were not the longest team I have been with but, they held the most potential." A soft chuckle escaped Ianos' lips, "Unless you count Zakai and Ari but maybe that's just me playing favorites."

Seeing the look of fondness fade in Ianos' eyes, Pluto couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the two Warlocks. He never knew the two personally but he had met them enough that he knew they kept Ianos happy, bright, and hopeful; more for the reason that the Exo Hunter knew that he was safe. And the more heartbreaking when Ianos lost them both. Soon after, the incident on the Moon occurred and since then, the Awoken Warlock had attempted to avoid working with other teams.

Although he wasn't present, Pluto had heard of the previous Fireteam before Redacted had insulted Ianos; the Vanguard had attempted to force a team on him despite his protests. Apparently, not long after, the two Guardians who he was assigned with then claimed that he had abandoned all his previous Fireteams to their deaths, which was the reason why he would always walk away as the lone survivor. Despite the fact that he wasn't present, Pluto knows Ianos all too well that the two Guardians had said something more than just him being a survivor; it had to directly correlate to the late Fireteams, otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted as violently as he had heard. The two Guardians who had insulted him were lucky that the Vanguard had reacted quickly enough to save their lives.

However, despite his protest of not wanting to work with a team, Pluto can easily tell Ianos had gotten attached with Fireteam Redacted. How he would ensure to be the back of the team to watch their backs or taking frontlines whenever they take heavy fire. Or how he would be the first to check up on them, hiding his concern behind strict words and sneers. He was attached.

And now with Pluto himself absent from the team and both female Guardians out of commission, Fireteam Redacted was down half of their original firepower. With Ianos having experience countless losses already from previous Fireteams, it was no wonder he is struggling to cope.

"You still have Angel and Akiva," Pluto watched once again as Ianos turned his tired gaze towards him, "the two of them are going to need you, especially after House of Spirit's relocation and Akiva's loss of his twin." He then let out a soft snort, "And their 'potential' isn't lost, if that is what you are concerned about."

No sooner had he said this when Pluto spotted the edges of Ianos' lips twitch upward. Progress.

"And even though I am not part of the team anymore, I am still here." The Exo Hunter saw Ianos blink, "So, if you need anything, just come over and ask me." He then let a small smile spread onto his metallic features, "And if I am not enough, I am willing to bet the Clan is more than willing to help. You are part of the family as well."

Seeing Ianos turn his focus back onto Ace's form in his lap, Pluto waited patiently, watching as the Awoken Warlock gently tapped the side of his Ghost's shell.

"We're still keeping the name, right?"

It was subtle, but the joking tone in Ianos' voice was enough to let most of his concern ebb away; it was still there in the edges of his mind but, it faded enough that he knows that Ianos is stable, at least, for now. With this in thought, Pluto finally let his hand fall from Ianos' shoulder as he leaned back in his chair and smiled, "Of course, it wouldn't be Fireteam Redacted without the name, right?"

A faint chuckle was his answer.

Xxxxx

If Hope had known the frequency she received would be the news of Aleeza's death, she would have kept the message to herself; help give Angel more time to grief over Carina's passing. It was unfortunate that thought never crossed her mind as she let the message play from her core when the two woke up to the bright rays of early morning.

The look of shock was instantaneous on Angel's face, the human Hunter's green eyes going wide before he abruptly turned and staggered over the makeshift table in their quarters, leaning his hands against it as Hope quietly glided over.

"Angel?" She tentatively called out, her auditory sensors picking up the heavy breathing of the young Guardian as she watched Angel's hands grip the edge of the table tightly, hearing the scrapping of his nails scratch the top.

"We're leaving." Hope reeled back at his words, watching as the young Hunter turn his gaze towards her, tears freely falling from the edges of his vision, "We're leaving the Tower. Today."

Hope widen her green optic, "W-what? I know we like the Wilds and all but why now? Don't you want to be around for-"

"I can't!" The white and red Ghost recoiled from Angel's sudden outburst, "I can't… I need some time. To grieve. Alone."

Concern flashing in her green optic, Hope twirled her back fins as she contemplated before bobbing once, "Alright, I'll message the Vanguard to ensure they know about our leave." She then glided over and pressed herself against the side of her Guardian's temple, "Let's go to the Wilds. Let's go home."

Xxxxx

They had yet to completely clean the blood.

As such, Akiva had a clear idea where his sister had landed as the workers went around to cleaning up the 'mess'.

He had received news of his twin's death just an hour earlier and as such, had rushed down to the bottom of the Tower, arriving just as the civilian workers were at work. He had taken the stairs and elevators to reach the bottom floor, as such the reason why it had taken him so long; normally he would have just jumped off the Tower and gradually slow himself down with his lift, but having been tasked with watching his son while Neve went to the Medical Wing to check up on the status of their unborn children, jumping off the Tower with Ora in his arms was not an option.

Watching the workers spray the area of where his twin had landed with a liquid, Akiva couldn't help but tighten his grip around Ora's form, quickly relenting his tight grasp as the sleeping child let out small whimpers of protest before shifting positions and falling back to sleep; his child was oblivious to the death of his aunt.

Fixating his golden hues onto the red stain in the concrete, Akiva watched as the workers used rags and mops to smear the red around, picking up the blood before cleansing their tool in water and then repeating the process. Soon, the red stain was gone and the human Titan watched as the workers started packing their equipment. Not long after, Akiva found himself alone, his gaze still fixated on the spot where his sister had landed.

Why?

Immediately, Akiva reprimanded himself for asking such a question. He knows clearly why. His twin had told him stories of her years as a Guardian, especially the decade when he had yet to be resurrected; alongside her losses.

Carina was not the first lover she had lost to the Darkness.

According to her, she claimed that she had lost many to the Darkness and that she told him that Carina was going to be her last; his naivety thought she meant she was never going to find another but yet continue her duty as a Guardian. He was foolish to think that way.

And how foolish he was for shrugging his sister's envy to the side.

He had always known about her jealousy; he had first noticed when Ora was first born, how her crimson gaze narrowed as he held his then newborn son in his arms. At first, he had been worried but after how he saw Aleeza care for Ora, he had shrugged it off; it never had occurred to him that she had only hid her feelings of envy behind a false mask. Perhaps if he had took note of it earlier, then perhaps…

Perhaps…

"Staring at the spot where she died isn't going to bring her back."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Akiva turned his golden hues towards the familiar gold and crimson Ghost, the latter of which twirled their back fins as they added, "What are you going to do? Expect the mass of flesh they just cleaned up to reform together and come back to life?"

"Gaia." It was Lex who spoke, his Ghost narrowing his golden optic at Gaia's own, causing the gold and crimson Ghost to let out a scoff, "What? Try and console your Guardian that everything will be alright?" Akiva's Ghost pause was enough of an answer for Gaia, "Sun and I learned years ago that 'babying' isn't going to stand out. Reality is reality."

"Easy for you to say, you hypocrite."

"Hypocrite?!"

"You two please," Akiva felt the Ghosts' gaze turn towards him, "You'll wake up Ora."

It was a lie. Little Oraxsis slept perfectly just fine with the two Ghosts arguing; in retrospect, he actually sleeps better when the two Ghosts are chatting nearby. Akiva just wanted silence; respect for the death of his twin. And time to think once more.

Back before he had met Neve, back before he became a father, Akiva silently made a promise to himself that wherever Aleeza goes, he would follow; even if it means jumping into the abyss of the Darkness. But now, with a family, the thought of following his twin into death made him hesitate; was he being selfish for wanting to live for his family? Or was he doing the right thing? Wanting to be around for his children so they could have a father?

"E-Excuse me?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Akiva forced his gaze away from his sister's area of death and focused his gaze towards a woman, a civilian from the pieces of cloth draped over her shoulders as she slowly made her way towards him. Next to her, stood a little girl, happily leaping as she kept her hand wrapped around her mother's.

"A-are you here to speak to the Guardians?" Sensing the nervousness in the edges of her tone, Akiva blinked before he responded, "No, but if it were any help, you may speak to me."

It was then, he watched the mother fidget side to side before turning her gaze towards the girl, "Mei, would you like to show them Retro?"

No sooner had the mother let the question slip from her lips when the little girl's eyes lit up before gently removing her hand from her mothers and slipping off the pack she carried on her back. Letting out a small smile as the little girl struggled to open the top of her pack, the smile quickly faded as Akiva's golden hues widen as the familiar form of a Ghost hovered out of her bag.

"Hello." It chirped.

* * *

 _K, leaving things here._

 _Epilogue will be out later today :D_

 _Hopefully XD_


	57. Epilogue

**_Tormented_**

 ** _Epilogue_**

 _And here we are! :D  
_

 _The end of this book! lol_

 _It's hard to believe it's been a little over a year since I published this story (March 7th of 2016 to be exact) and to see it grow really made me happy. It couldn't have happened with all you readers and as such, thank you. I really appreciate you all and I hope that the sequel will bring just as much as enjoyment as Tormented did._

 _As such, here it the Epilogue C:_

* * *

Amara Carina Wahl and Nahala Aleeza Wahl.

Those were the names of the two little girls that Neve had brought into the world. And how beautiful they were.

The 'older' of the two, Amara, holds the same blue eyes as her mother but her hair carries the same shade of her father, her dark strands matching her fair skin. Nahala looks identical to her sister with the exception of her eyes: a light shade of turquoise. A mixture of both Akiva's gold and Neve's blue.

Both little girls were born healthy (much to the two Guardian's relief) and with permission from Matt, Akiva brought little Oraxsis in to meet his younger sisters. At first, the young Guardian looked bewildered, confused at the prospect of having younger siblings. But after holding one of his sisters (with help) in his arms, the twinkle in his golden gaze was enough to tell Akiva that Ora was going to protect them; no matter the cost.

As such, with another quick check up on both the newborns and the mother, Matt shuffled both father and son outside, claiming that the former needed rest. Despite his protest, Akiva relented when Ora yawned in his arms; a sign of his need to sleep; although this doesn't mean that Akiva is going to wander far.

Pacing back and forth in the middle of the Plaza, Akiva patted the now sleeping Ora's back in order to help him sleep, an action that bewilders the latter's Ghost.

"The more I spend time with you 'organics', the more I am bewildered by your actions. How does 'patting' a back lull one to sleep?"

"It's comforting," Akiva laughed at the puzzled look Gaia gave Lex, "It's gentle. A reassurance that you're there, even when you're asleep."

"So, he has to do this when he grows?"

"Until he gets old enough when he doesn't need it anymore," Akiva responded, earning another bewildered look from the gold and crimson Ghost, "but right now, at this stage, he needs as much love and care as he can."

"Speaking of getting 'old enough'," The human Titan turned his gaze towards Lex, "Are you going to enroll Ora into that little Academy they're starting?"

Akiva paused at his Ghost's question.

Back when Akiva saw the little girl with her Ghost, the human Titan had at first thought that she had taken the small star shaped AI into her care. But in reality, after a bit of digging, the Ghost had 'chosen' the little girl as its Guardian. At first, Akiva thought against of informing the Vanguard but after seeing the desperate look in the mother's eyes, the human Titan had decided it was for the best. As soon as he had reported it in, news spread of the little girl being selected as a Guardian; and more like her started to make their way towards the Tower.

It wasn't just children who were selected by Ghosts. There were some adults who were chosen as well alongside those who had hardly made it to their coming of age; there were reports of even young infants being chosen by Ghosts to be the next generation of Guardians. As such, with the knowledge that 'living' beings can be selected, the Speaker announced that an Academy will be built near the Tower to let the 'younger' of those chosen to be educated on their future as Soldiers of the Light. The ones who were 'mature' enough were already housed at the Tower, the more 'experienced' Guardians teaching them the ways of the field.

"Perhaps, counting on how well it goes," Hearing Ora let out a small whine, Akvia then rubbed his son's back, hearing his whimpers quiet down to gentle breathing, "and who is going to head the Academy."

"Hopefully someone trust worthy," Gaia muttered out, "and competent. If my Guardian is going to head to this Academy, 'I' am going to be stuck with him as well." Akiva then heard the gold and crimson Ghost let out a scoff, "I am not going to float around and listen to some nonsense. Waste of time."

"Then let's hope this Academy will do its job," Lex retorted, "a new generation of Guardians, 'living' Guardians, will be joining our ranks soon. It will be a waste if it doesn't work."

Another scoff from Gaia, "'Living' Guardians. Who would have thought that Guardians sleeping around down in the City will produce offspring born naturally with the Light? They need to find a way to find pleasure 'without' impregnating the females."

"Oh geez, what's wrong with Guardians that are selected when they're 'alive'?" Akiva can easily sense the narrowed glance Lex gave to his fellow Ghost, "sure it's going to take some years for them to get to accustom to being a 'Guardian', but it's nice to know that we're gaining numbers."

"Are you so sure?" Gaia's words caused Lex to pause, "True we're gaining ranks but what makes you think that the 'living' and the 'dead' Guardians will intermingle positively?" Another scoff from the gold and crimson Ghost, "You have a 'human' as a Guardian so you wouldn't understand, but back when Sun was my Guardian, the two of learned that even the smallest of 'differences' can lead to extreme prejudice."

"That is not going to happen here."

A sigh from Gaia, "All I am going to say is this; be careful. It may not occur now but it 'will' occur later."

Taking in the words of the gold and crimson Ghost, Akiva glanced at the sleeping form of his son in his arms, listening to him breathe steadily as his mind wandered. It was no doubt that years from now, that when little Oraxsis comes of age, he is going to take up the mantle of a Guardian; but Akiva wonders how others will treat him because of it. How will the Guardians who were previously 'dead' react when they figure out there is a 'living' Guardian amongst their numbers, one who holds all the memory of his childhood and the love and care he received from his family? Will they accept him amongst their ranks?

"Don't worry so much about it, Akiva," The human Titan snapped out of his thoughts from Lex's words, "Mister Negativity here is just being too pessimistic about gaining numbers."

"I am 'not' pessimistic, I am being realistic."

"Same thing." Akiva let out a sheepish smile as Gaia glared at Lex in retort, "or as Angel would say, 'Pessimism and realism goes hand in hand when things seem dour'."

At the mention of the human Hunter's name, the smile on Akiva's face faded. Not long after Aleeza's death had spread, Angel had packed up some supplies and headed out into the Wilds; an occurrence that Akiva understands is how Hunters mourn. Ever since then, all the Tower had received from the human Hunter was a string of short messages and white noise to signal his survival and his alliance to the Tower; he hadn't even came to visit when Akiva sent out a frequency of the birth of the twins.

The human Titan just hopes that the human Hunter will return soon.

With this in mind, Akiva then let his thoughts wander over to Ianos, recalling how Matt repeatedly stated over and over again how he was 'upgrading' the Awoken Warlock's system; in other words, keeping Ianos bedridden. All Akiva had to comment was that it was taking a lot longer than everyone had anticipated. Every time a question is asked how quickly it was going to be finished, all the Medic would respond with is 'soon'; even Ianos seemed annoyed by this answer the last time Akiva had visited the Warlock.

Nonetheless, currently, Akiva and Angel are the only 'active' members of Fireteam Redacted but with him being a father and Angel out in the Wilds, the team was considered to be on standby; at least, until they regain their numbers.

Hearing Ora let out another whimper, a small smile faded onto Akiva's pale features as he stated, "Alright, alright, we're going inside. Getting a little chilly out here."

Before he turned towards the apartments, the human Titan turned and glanced back at the broken form of the Traveler. The thoughts of Angel being alone out in the Wild, Ianos still in the Medical Bay, Pluto struggling to revive his old clan, and with both Carina and Aleeza gone from the world of the living, Akiva couldn't help but breath out a single sentence.

"Let the Light of the Traveler guide you."

With his words spoken, Akiva turned and headed inside with Lex and Gaia following behind.

* * *

 _The Prologue of the Sequel will be out later this week (maybe, counting on how quickly I can type it out...and if I can think up of a title lol), so keep an eye out!_

 _Also, reminder, characters that did not make an appearance in this story will be transfered over to the sequel. So if you didn't see your character here, they 'will' make an appearance in the sequel and once again, I apologize for the long wait._

 _Again, for the sake of the long waiting list and for my time, I am no longer accepting characters as of March 15. I apologize for the inconvenience._

 _Anyway, I once again thank you all for reading Tormented and once again, I hope the sequel will bring as much enjoyment._

 _Appreciate you all!_


	58. Announcement: Release of Redacted

_It seems some of my readers are uninformed of the sequel, 'Redacted' so here it is._

 _Redacted, the sequel to Tormented, have been released and it can be found on my profile._

 _Enjoy C:_


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